Flores Para los Muertos

in my story

i am blanche

and he is allan

but maybe in his 

he isn’t                                                 

cause maybe i have been 

writing about the wrong

Gray boy

this whole time.


My Dearest Sibyl Vane,

We are the same, you and I. We are the women who love in between shades of grey. The ones who don’t want realism, because we want magic–yes, magic! But magic only exists in poetry, does it not? In beautiful poetry, and for you, my dear, under those blinding stage lights–yes! Blinding like a searchlight. That is where the magic lives.

I think, darling Sibyl, that we loved the same boy once. My Grey boy wrote me the most colourful poetry, you know. And your’s–well. He was Gray in a different way than mine was, but the same boy still, wasn’t he? Because in my story he was Allan. Allan Grey. But in his–in his story, my dearest Sibyl Vane, he was Dorian. Dorian Gray. And I was you.

Don’t you see?

For you were the flower, yes! The beautiful English rose with petals for lips and a reed-like throat. How lovely you were on that stage–Rosalind one night and Portia the other. You said once that acting was the one reality in your life, that it was only in the theatre that you lived; I know what you meant when you said that you believed it. Believed in everything. That the painted scenes were a world for you to escape into every night. A world belonging to you alone, that housed people inside of whom you got lost in the most absolute and wonderful way–all at once, and much, much too completely. So completely, in fact, that you misplaced yourself entirely.

I, too, know what it is to become so far removed from the person you used to be that you no longer recognize your reflection in the eyes of those who love you. To live your life in a kind of shadow because light can be harsh on such a delicate face. But where I was running from something, my darling Sibyl, you were waiting to be found.

And then you were. He found you, Sibyl. Your Gray boy. All because of your magic; theatre–that was your magic.

I suppose in many ways it is mine too–I misrepresent things to people. I try to give them that magic by telling what ought to be the truth, in the same way that you make an audience believe you are the people whose skins you get caught inside. After all, your Gray boy did love you first as Juliet, didn’t he? First as Juliet, then as Rosalind, and, after that, Imogen.

People will always like the look of you before they like you.

Poor, darling Sibyl, with your violet wells for eyes and flower-like face–he wrote that about you, you know. He said you were the loveliest thing he had ever seen in his life. Maybe that’s why he seemed to be so fond of comparing you to flowers–because you are beautiful and so are they. But, you should have been careful, my darling. Careful of men and Gray boys who only ever looked for beauty in you.

That was your charm–your beauty. He should have known a woman’s charm is always fifty precent illusion.

You know, he said that has seen you in every age and in every costume; he has seen you die in the gloom of an Italian tomb, sucking the poison from your lover’s lips, and has watched you wandering through the forest of Arden, disguised as a pretty boy in hose and doublet and dainty cap.

He has seen you in every skin except your own.

That was the problem, wasn’t it? That he wanted every version of you except for yourself. Because then, on that night, when the searchlight was turned on for you, when he showed you what reality really was–on that night when you didn’t get lost in your magic, the illusion was ruined for him. The searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and he destroyed you, Sibyl.

He destroyed you because you weren’t as beautiful to him as you had once been. That’s what happened to me, you know. But instead, it was I who destroyed my Grey boy, for he wasn’t the boy I thought.

But your Gray boy–he told you that you were nothing without your art, because your art was what had made you beautiful; I know that to be true, darling Sibyl, because I am nothing without mine. All you have in this life is your art–your art and your youth. You had both, you poor, lost girl. You had both and you traded that magic for reality.

Sweet, gentle Sybil. How could you have known?

Because if you were a rose before, now you are merely flowers for the dead.

–Blanche DuBois


This post was an analysis of the relationship between Sibyl Vane and Dorian Gray, explored through a creative comparison between Sibyl and Blanche– when I read ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ over the summer, the biggest thing that struck me was how many parallels there were with the book and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, which one of the biggest ones being how strikingly similar Sybil Vane and Blanche DuBois are, both in personality and in circumstance. 

As such, I immediately identified with Sybil as I was reading, because there are many similarities between her and I as well; we are both actors whose identities are dependant on what characters we play, when we are in a show we both see that world as our reality, we spend so much time pretending to be other people that we don’t know who we are. The list goes on.

When Dorian was first telling Henry about his love of Sybil Vane, something that came up in their conversation gutted me;

‘“Tonight she is Imogen,” he answered, “and tomorrow night she will be Juliet.”

“When is she Sibyl Vane?”

“Never.”

“I congratulate you.”’ (46)

Because, I realized that, in that moment, I wasn’t reading about some made-up character in some made-up world; in that moment, I was reading about me.

This quality–this want of magic over realism–is something that Blanche, Sybil, and I share. And the three of us all have Grey boys. Coincidence? I think not.

Furthermore, I titled the piece ‘Flores Para los Muertos’ (flowers for the dead) because it is a recurring phrase in ‘Streetcar’, and because combined with Wilde’s seemingly compulsive use of floral imagery (particularly in his descriptions of Sybil Vane), that is exactly what Sibyl was. A flower for the dead.

Additionally, I found it interesting how characters who have such similar issues with realism and truth manifest this problem in such contradictory ways–Blanche with her aversion to light, and Sybil with her living under it. Because, for Blanche, light was equal to realism, realism was equal to truth, and truth was equal to a loss of magic. For her, her avoidance of light was both literal and symbolic, because in the physical world, she did not want others to know her age, and as such, this is symbolic of this denial of her reality and the truth. Her literally ‘keeping others (and herself) in the dark’ meant maintaining her magic act, thus allowing her to live in her own version of the truth.

With Sybil, however, the light represents her deception magic and her rejection of her reality, because a life under the stage lights is a life that lacks realism. For her, reality lives in the shadows and waits in the wings, because, in contrast to Blanche, Sybil Vane has youth and beauty and doesn’t need to hide behind shadows. She is someone who is very much waiting to be found rather than someone who hides behind the image of someone she can’t be, however the person that Dorian found wasn’t her at all.

This is mirrored both in Blanche’s discovery of Allan Grey’s true identity, as well as Mitch’s discovery of her’s. Additionally, Blanche destroyed her Grey boy, which in turn destroyed her, just as Sybil let Dorian destroy her which in turn lead to his own demise. 

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13 thoughts on “Flores Para los Muertos

  1. Best frienddddd,

    When you first introduced this idea to me—a letter to Sibyl Vane from Blanche DuBois—I was intrigued. Now that I’ve gotten the chance to read your blog post it in its entirety, I am absolutely in awe.

    This piece itself is written in what appears to be a sort of passionate fervour—much like The Picture of Dorian Gray is written. Like Wilde, you appeal to the pathos of your readers, to insatiable emotion—a sort of tragic beauty. As far as other similarities go between this piece and the novel, I’d like to talk about your utilization of imagery. For example, LOVE the line “The beautiful English rose with petals for lips and a reed-like throat.” Imagery of course is a significant literary devices used in the novel because it emphasizes the recurring idea of aestheticism. So I appreciated that you also made use of imagery within your own piece.

    Great connection back to Dorian Gray itself—nice integration of quotes from the novel. I would honestly suggest memorizing this and keeping it in your pocket because it would make a great personal response! Maybe something you could use again for diplomas?

    That all being said, I don’t think I have any suggestions for improvement in relation the writing itself. All I would recommend is that you write a short analysis (maybe 10-15 sentences) to go with your piece opposed to just a couple of lines at the end. Other than that UGH GOOD JOB BEST FRIEND. This was an absolutely brilliant piece of writing.

    -Jadey Bear 🐻

  2. Dear Hope,

    I swear, you and your words will never cease to amaze me. I love this post in all of its glory and wonderful creativity. I loved how easily you were able to intertwine Blanche and Sybil Vane through their desire for something more than harsh reality can offer. When I was reading your post, I felt Blanche in every single letter; you were able to slip into her skin with such admirable ease, and you took it even further when you showed such a deep understanding of Sybil Vane through the eyes of another. This was accomplished especially through the parallelism you had between Blanche and Sybil, with Blanche trying to run and Sybil trying to be found, with Blanche maintaining her illusions and Sybil falling to reality.

    Another thing I adored was your play on the “grey boys” that existed for both women, and their ability to both give and steal colour from the ones who relied upon them for some sort of escape. To be a woman who loves “in between shades of gray” is such an intricate play on words, both in the sense of Dorian and Allan and in the fact that the two women were forever tied down to reality by the lovers they thought would set them free. I’ve always loved Sybil Vane, and I feel as though you have made me love, or at least understand, Blanche DuBois in a way I never thought I could.

    Your use of imagery and your ability to perfectly sew in quotes from the book, and especially Dorian, really helped in analyzing the relationship between Sybil and Dorian, and Blanche was an incredibly interesting medium through which to paint them. There really isn’t too much I could suggest for improvement; however, perhaps an analysis from your perspective (as Jade suggested) would provide us with a little personal depth. Thank you so much for such an amazing read!

    Sincerely,

    Hijab

    1. Hijab,

      Thank you so much for taking the time to read . and comment on my blog!! And thank you for your suggestions–I have since updated my piece with an analysis of what was written partly as this was a common suggestion, and partly in order to maintain marks.

      ILAG,

      -hope

  3. Dear Hope,

    I’ve already told you how much I love this piece, but I’ll tell you again: I REALLY love this piece. It was beautifully crafted – poetic and authentic – and after reading it, I feel as though I understand both Blanche DuBois and Sybil Vane a little bit better.
    You were able to capture Blanche’s voice very well; I really did believe that this was Blanche herself talking to Sybil. The parallels that you drew between the two were uncanny, and I particularly appreciated that you capitalized on Dorian Gray vs Allan Grey, even using the colour grey in the letter to symbolize a lack of truth and emotion (relevant to both Blanche and Sybil).
    I love that you took lines and concepts from both stories and wove them into your own narrative – it really helped your piece feel authentic and true to both A Streetcar Named Desire and The Picture of Dorian Gray. What especially stood out to me was “flowers for the dead,” or “flores para los muertos,” as it is a reoccurring phrase in Streetcar, but also perfectly describes Sybil herself, who is continually likened to flowers and surrounded by floral imagery, even in her death. That was a clever connection, something that I wouldn’t have thought of myself.
    Just as Jade mentioned, in your writing you have a really masterful command of pathos – you are able to use this to express the emotional complexities of Sybil and Blanche with brilliance.
    As for something to work on, this is super picky, but just be conscious of the way you begin each of your paragraphs. Last year, I learned not to start my paragraphs with the same words unless I did so with stylistic intent, and I think if you worked that into this piece, it would just elevate it that much more. More than once, you begin paragraphs with the words “and” and “that.” I think diversifying your sentence starters would make this piece a bit more interesting that it already is.
    I would actually disagree with Jade and Hijab about adding in some analysis – I think part of the brilliance of this piece is that the analysis has been woven throughout and never explicitly mentioned, a choice that mimics the intangibility of the love and illusions you explore in this letter. Because this piece was intended to be an analysis in creative form – as you said below – I preferred your choice to leave things open to interpretation. I do understand that adding in a few sentences of explanation would be good for the sake of clarity and adding even more depth, I just personally liked your decision not to do so.
    All in all, this piece was written incredibly well, and I’ve really learned from it as well. I think that the connection between Blanche and Sybil is a huge takeaway for me, and I appreciate that you made me think and fully entranced me in the story you created.
    Thank you for this little piece of brilliance!

    Love,
    Ziyana

    1. Zi,

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my blog!! I 100% agree with you about the analysis of the piece–the reason why I didn’t initially have one is because I wanted the piece to speak for itself. Sometimes I think less is more, and this is most definitely one of those times. I just feel like the whole ‘point’ of it or whatever is absolutely ruined if it has to be explained, however I have now updated the piece with an analysis so I guess you could call me a hypocrite. I wanted to do so partly to honour the suggestions given to me by our peers, and partly in order to maintain marks.

      Thanks again!!

      ILAG

      -hope

  4. Dear Hope,

    I’ve already told you how much I love this piece, but I’ll tell you again: I REALLY love this piece. It was beautifully crafted – poetic and authentic – and after reading it, I feel as though I understand both Blanche DuBois and Sybil Vane a little bit better.
    You were able to capture Blanche’s voice very well; I really did believe that this was Blanche herself talking to Sybil. The parallels that you drew between the two were uncanny, and I particularly appreciated that you capitalized on Dorian Gray vs Allan Grey, even using the colour grey in the letter to symbolize a lack of truth and emotion (relevant to both Blanche and Sybil).
    I love that you took lines and concepts from both stories and wove them into your own narrative – it really helped your piece feel authentic and true to both A Streetcar Named Desire and The Picture of Dorian Gray. What especially stood out to me was “flowers for the dead,” or “flores para los muertos,” as it is a reoccurring phrase in Streetcar, but also perfectly describes Sybil herself, who is continually likened to flowers and surrounded by floral imagery, even in her death. That was a clever connection, something that I wouldn’t have thought of myself.
    Just as Jade mentioned, in your writing you have a really masterful command of pathos – you are able to use this to express the emotional complexities of Sybil and Blanche with brilliance.
    As for something to work on, this is super picky, but just be conscious of the way you begin each of your paragraphs. Last year, I learned not to start my paragraphs with the same words unless I did so with stylistic intent, and I think if you worked that into this piece, it would just elevate it that much more. More than once, you begin paragraphs with the words “and” and “that.” I think diversifying your sentence starters would make this piece a bit more interesting that it already is.
    I would actually disagree with Jade and Hijab about adding in some analysis – I think part of the brilliance of this piece is that the analysis has been woven throughout and never explicitly mentioned, a choice that mimics the intangibility of the love and illusions you explore in this letter. Because this piece was intended to be an analysis in creative form – as you said below – I preferred your choice to leave things open to interpretation. I do understand that adding in a few sentences of explanation would be good for the sake of clarity and adding even more depth, I just personally liked your decision not to do so.
    All in all, this piece was written incredibly well, and I’ve really learned from it as well. I think that the connection between Blanche and Sybil is a huge takeaway for me, and I appreciate that you made me think and fully entranced me in the story you created.
    Thank you for this little piece of brilliance!

    Love,
    Ziyana

  5. Dearest Hope,

    You are such a brilliant writer! I loved the way you decided to do a character comparison by writing a letter instead of just analyzing like usual. Well done! After reading this post, I can see how your character reflects so much with Blanche, and how you connect so deeply with her, despite no having read “Streetcar Named Desire.”
    I admire how you can see so much into Sybil’s and Blanche’s characters and write a complete letter to Sybil as if you knew her as a real person. In your post, I liked the parallelism between Blanche and Sybil as if you were Blanche herself and how both of you were dealing with your love for your Gray/Grey boys. – I really liked how you used the different spellings for grey to differentiate between the two.
    I also liked how you repetitively wrote “-yes!” to reinforce what you already suggested through your post, and how the tone of your letter is one of pity and harshness.
    The motifs of flowers in your piece really related back to the title, as you described Sibyl as flower-like, and at the end of your letter, described her as “merely flowers for the dead.” (I had to look up the translation – flowers for the dead-) In relation to the title, I feel as if you wrote this letter for her funeral, but I’m also wondering what would happen if Sibyl read this before she died? What do you think?
    In terms of improvement, there’s not much I can offer, but I did find the last sentence a bit weird to read..? Maybe you could take out the “because” in the beginning; I think it might sound better. Other than that, your piece is simply amazing; I am in awe.

    Best wishes,
    Kelley

    1. Kelley,

      Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my blog–your words are very kind and much appreciated!! And thank you for your suggestion!!!

      ilag,

      -hope

  6. Dear Hope,

    I am at a loss for words! I’m uncertain of where to start, so I’ll start with this: I found your letter to be beautiful and truthful. It was an idea that immediately intrigued me, as I’ve always struggled to understand Sibyl. I saw her simply as another tragedy caused by the madness of Dorian, but now I see we humans can connect with her more than I initially realized. That’s what the letter did for me. I saw more humanity and sadness within the character, and I thank you for making me realize that! In addition, I love how you connected Wilde’s work to William’s. Even through the word ‘gray’ you saw every detail in each character, and made a powerful connection between the two. What better way to convey that then through a letter! Now, I am inspired to read Streetcar, and I owe that to you! I can’t forget to mention how I adore your writing! The diction you used was beautiful. This piece was especially powerful because I’ve learned that a lot of us kids, and many other people, hide under their own spotlight to convey someone other than oneself. Making that connection between two completely different worlds requires great intellect, and you’ve got that!
    As for grows, I would have to agree with Kelly. In addition, there were a few moments where the wording was slightly off, so I would recommend reading the piece a few times in order to catch those very minor details!
    Wow! Brilliant writing! Never stop writing, Hope. You are pretty darn awesome!!!!
    ~Tim
    ILAG

  7. Dear Hope,

    I once considered the idea of writing a letter from one literary character to another in a completely different piece of writing. However, I dismissed the idea, as I couldn’t just get it formulate my thoughts; furthermore, I dubbed writing a piece like that too difficult to accomplish. After reading this, however, I am in awe at the amount of ease you had with making this piece amazing.

    What I enjoyed was the idea of switching from poetry, to a creative, to expository. This blend of styles demonstrates your skill as a writer, as well as provides the audience with I fair grasp on ethos, pathos, and logos. This applies not just for Dorian Gray, but for Streetcar, as well. The differentiation between Grey and Gray was also a nice touch, stylistically. You weave comparisons and contrasts into your letter seamlessly, all while emulating the voice of Blanche in the process. The connection to yourself at the end was a great addition, as it also added to the pathos, and allowed the audience to relate to someone human, not just two fictional characters, no matter how human they may seem.
    A couple things (really just one):
    -Be sure to go back and fix the line with, “…that was your magic,” as the first “t” on “that” was not italicized.
    -As previously stated by others, perhaps a tiny bit more analysis at the end of the expository piece, to really tie together all that you just explained between the two characters and yourself.
    Amazing work, and I can’t wait for more!
    -Lucas

    1. Lucas,

      Thank you so much for even taking the time to read my blog, let alone comment on it! And thank you for your suggestions and for catching the typo with the italics.

      ILAG,

      -hope

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