What is the role of old lady in the play"A Street Named Desire"?She is dressed in black that Blanche hallucinates,selling flowers for funerals as...

To truly understand the role of the Mexican woman selling
flowers in "A Streetcar Named Desire", one must translate what she calls as she walks the
streets.

The flower seller calls out "flores para los muertos". This
means "flowers for the dead". Blanche has just had an argument with Mitch and he tells her that
he cannot live with the truth of her past (she was a prostitute.) After Mitch leaves, Blanche
stumbles to the door of Stanley's flat and sees the woman selling
flowers.

The symbolism of this is two-fold. First, Blanche's
language becomes indistinguishable- her words mirror the foreign tongue of the Mexican. This
shows that she is no longer able to be understood, literally and
figuratively.

Second, and perhaps the most profound, is the
foreshadowing that is provided here. The Mexican woman is calling for people to buy flowers to
show respect for their dead. This foreshadows Blanche's own figurative death. Mentally and
physically, Blanche's life is over. Mentally, Blanche has lost it. Physically, she knows now that
her youth, and chances for marital happiness, are gone.