In class this week we talked about the dichotomy between visibility and invisibility specifically for Blanche as a black woman in the south, and how both functioned as a disadvantage for her in society. As I was finishing the book, it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of her invisibility and visibility with that of Grace’s, who used her abilities in much more sinister ways than Blanche. From the beginning, there was a certain two-facedness to all the characters that nonetheless, surprised me in the end. In hindsight, Grace’s insanity should have been more obvious, but I still audibly gasped when I realized her evil hand in all the criminal acts. Putting up her facade of the helpless and clumsy wife allowed her to masterfully use that mask to her advantage. The meek, worrisome wife could never be involved in committing criminal acts with ease, and this assumption provided the perfect veil to the eyes of an entire society. Being a woman, Grace exercises her own visibility and subsequent invisibility in conjunction with the color of her skin, which opens a plethora of doors that would never even come into view for Blanche. It is interesting because as everything finally came to light, their similarities were obvious; both women snuck around and learned things about others in the comfort of their invisibility, but being from entirely different worlds, Grace was hardwired to use that for herself while Blanche committed herself to the truth against her own self-preservation. This distinction is important because it reveals the dichotomy between women in society and their uses of their differing visibilities in life. Grace and Blanche occupy two different ends of the spectrum, but their similarities are made incomparable in the difference of their intentions. Blanche is a woman who lives for others, who cherishes her relationships in her life, while Grace lives only for herself and her money.
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I like this commentary a lot. The concept of “visibility” reminds me of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” with Zero as the Lobby Boy. Although he wears a distinctive green uniform with the words “LOBBY BOY” printed in large, black letters on his hat, he is still, to the hotel visitors, invisible. A good lobby boy, as his boss points out, should never be seen. It’s interesting that for the role of servant, the goal is to be unseen, whereas for the role of boss, the goal is to be seen. I also am not sure if I agree with your statement that Blanche lives for others—to me it almost seems like she always strives for self-preservation.