A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 9

Summary
—Blanche has been drinking heavily after receiving the bus ticket from Stanley.

—Mitch turns up to the house despite not accepting his invitation to Blanche’s birthday meal and it is obvious that he has been drinking too.

—Blanche tries to pretend that she isn’t upset by Mitch’s refusal and attempts to make conversation, however Mitch’s anger at Blanche’s deceit is apparent.

—Mitch eventually rips the lantern off of the lightbulb and forces Blanche into the light so he can see her clearly which greatly upsets Blanche and leads to her confessing the truth about her past.

—At the very end of the scene the Mexican Woman appears, triggering flashbacks for Blanche, and Mitch attempts to physically control Blanche but leaves when she threatens to scream fire.

Key Quotations

—“Blanche is seated in a tense, hunched position in a bedroom chair that she has recovered with diagonal green and white stripes. She has on her scarlet satin robe. On the table beside the chair is a bottle of liquor and a glass.”

—This shows that Blanche is anxious and on-edge about events that happened in Scene 8 and readers are reminded of Scene 1 where Blanche sits in the same way. The recovering of a chair shows us that Blanche is planning on staying at Stella and Stanley’s and so she has made the room how she likes it. Also the action of covering something with fabric could be representative of Blanche and her façade as she is covering something old (her present self) with something that makes the object appear to be new (her expensive clothes, her jewellery etc). Blanche is wearing her “scarlet satin robe” which suggests connotations of danger and seduction. The bottle of liquor beside her reinforces the idea that she uses alcohol as an escape and to numb her pain.

—“Why, you haven’t even shaven! The unforgivable insult to a lady! But I forgive you. I forgive you because it’s such a relief to see you.”

—Here Blanche is declaring her forgiveness however the crime Mitch has committed by not shaving is far less than Blanche’s continuous deceit. By describing it as “the unforgivable insult to a lady” it gives the impression that Blanche is superior to Mitch and that he should be asking for her forgiveness. The use of the word “the” implies that visiting a lady unshaven is the worst thing a gentleman could do. The anadiplosis of “I forgive you” shows that Blanche is desperate for Mitch to know that she has forgiven him. 

—“I don’t want realism. I’ll tell you what I want. Magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth.”

Here Blanche confesses that she cannot accept realism and her present situation and self. She is so desperate for “magic” that she has created fantasies to hide any signs of the real world and has now gotten to the point where they have become her world. Blanche says that she tells what ought to be the truth to herself and others in order to reinforce her fantasies and to try and forget about her past. She strives for control over her life and so in order to try and control events that have happened in her past, she attempts to control her present and her future. 

—“Yes I had many intimacies with strangers. After the death of Allan- the intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty head with…”

—Blanche refers to her promiscuous activities by using a euphemism which she repeats. This again shows that she cannot accept the raw truth and so by using an euphemism she is convincing herself that her actions were not as bad as they actually were. Usually people say that they were trying to fill their empty hearts so by Blanche saying that she was trying to fill her “empty head”, it could be implying that she craved protection and a sense of worth more than love. Blanche wasn’t looking for love after the death of Allan, she was desperately trying to find someone who made her feel protected and worth something even if it was only for a matter of hours.

—“Well, I needed somebody, too. I thanked God for you, because you seemed to be gentle- a cleft in the rock of the world that I could hide in!”

—The biblical reference here of “a cleft in the rock  of the world that I could hide in” suggests that Blanche saw Mitch as  her form of protection against the world. He was someone she found solace and comfort in because she could easily fool him with her façade which enabled her to hide her real self. Blanche says that Mitch “seemed” to be gentle which implies that she either questions her judgement or no longer believes that he can be gentle after the way he has treated her.

—“Death- I used to sit here and she used to sit over there and death was as close as you are… We didn’t dare even admit we had ever heard of it! The opposite is desire.”

—Here we assume that “she” is referring to Stella and that Blanche is describing her childhood in Belle Reve where she lost her family to death. She says “We didn’t dare even admit we had ever heard of it” which suggests that Blanche and Stella were fearful that they would be the next ones to be taken away by death. Blanche states that the opposite of death is desire which shows that her views towards desire are negative as throughout her life she has been led to believe that the only outcome of desire is death. Blanche has never experienced anything where desire has led to a positive outcome such as love which is why, at the beginning of the play, she is so shocked to see that Stella and Stanley’s desire for each other has lead to marriage and a baby.

The Mexican Woman

—At the end of the scene a Mexican Woman appears, selling flowers for the dead. There is speculation as to whether or not this woman is real or whether she is merely a figment of Blanche’s imagination as Blanche is the only character in the play to have any kind of communication with her. Real or not, the Mexican Woman triggers a set of flashbacks for Blanche where she describes events and conversations that we assume took place during her childhood at Belle Reve. This section in the scene and in the play as a whole really highlights the extent to which Blanche’s mental stability has declined.

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 8

Summary
—Stanley, Stella and Blanche are having a birthday supper, however there is a vacant space at the table as Mitch has not turned up.

—There is a very tense atmosphere as they eat, with Stanley eventually getting angry and smashing the crockery.

—Blanche discovers that Stanley and Stella know why Mitch hasn’t arrived and desperately tries to call him. He doesn’t answer which leaves Blanche very upset.

—Stanley then presents Blanche with a one-way ticket back to Laurel which tips her over the edge and we see her decline even deeper into insanity.

Key Quotations

—“And the only way to hush the parrot…but that was a short day!”

—Blanche’s parrot story is told to create humour but it could also be an allusion that some secrets should be kept hidden from others. Just like the parrot, Blanche has a darker side that she tries desperately to keep hidden under her façade, but also just like the parrot, this different side to her is revealed.

—“Mr Kowalski is too busy making a pig of himself to think of anything else!”

—Here we see Stella siding with Blanche again as she calls Stanley ‘Mr Kowalski’ which is very impersonal. She creates a divide between the two families when she tries to protect and care for Blanche, siding with the DuBois to prove that she still loves her sister. However, we know that at the end of the play, Stella decides to side with Stanley which is a complete antithesis with her earlier implications. 

—“What do you two think you are? A pair of queens? Remember what Huey Long said- “Every Man is a  King!” And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!”

Stanley’s appreciation of Huey Long shows his lower-class background as Huey Long decreased unemployment rates in the United States. However, he was also a tyrant and abused his position of power which is similar to Stanley as he definitely controls others using intimidation and aggression. His rhetorical question at the beginning implies that Stanley believes he is superior to Stella and Blanche as he is a male so therefore, women cannot be in high positions of power.  

—“His Auntie knows candles aren’t safe, that candles burn out in little boys’ and girls’ eyes, or wind blows them out and after that happens, electric light bulbs go on and you see too plainly…”

—Here Blanche is not only talking about her nephew but also about her own life. She is describing Allan’s death and that when he died, the light went out of her life and now she can’t face the ‘electric light bulbs’ or reality. Blanche says that candles ‘aren’t safe’ as she believes that, like desire, ‘candles’ are ruinous as they create illusions that never last. 

—“El pan de mais, el pan de mais, el pan de mais, sin sal. El pan de mais, el pan de mais, el pan de mais sin sal…”

At the very end of the scene, Blanche emerges from the bathroom singing a Mexican folk song about maize bread without salt. This song has no real meaning and it is strange that Blanche is singing a Spanish song when they live in the French quarter of New Orleans. Nevertheless, this nonsense chant shows the extent to which Blanche’s mental state has declined and the effects that Stanley’s ‘gift’ to her have had. If we over-read into this song, a loaf of bread without salt will not rise and it is tasteless, similarly a woman without beauty will not be able to find a husband and will be cast aside for being too ‘bland’ (according to Blanche). 

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 7

Summary

—It is Blanche’s birthday and whilst Blanche is in the bath, Stanley tells Stella everything he has found out about Blanche’s time in Laurel.

—Stella refuses to believe anything Stanley says and tells him that Blanche’s husband died when she was very young.

—Stanley then reveals to Stella that he has passed all of this information onto Mitch.

Key Quotations

—“So I been told. And told and told and told!”

—The polysyndetic list along with the repeated dental plosive sound of ‘told’ demonstrates Stanley’s anger and frustration at being told once again, that he is different from both Blanche and Stella. The exclamative only reinforces this point, with the foregrounded conjuction (‘And’) showing that Stanley is unable to control his feelings.

—“Say, it’s only a paper moon, Sailing over a cardboard sea- But it wouldn’t be make-believe If you believed in me!”

—This song that Blanche sings talks about fantasy and ‘make-believe’, two things that Blanche continually talks about. The words ‘paper’ and ‘fragile’ imply that both the moon and the sea are delicate objects that can easily be broken, just like Blanche. The second line of the chorus sums up Blanche’s life- if people believed in Blanche and understood her, they would realise that to Blanche, her fantasy is her reality. 

“The Flamingo is used to all kinds of goings-on. But even the management of the Flamingo was impressed by Dame Blanche!”

The sarcasm that Stanley uses here, demonstrates his anger and dislike towards Blanche and her past actions. The name ‘Dame’ implies someone in authority and of importance; something that Blanche definitely was not whilst she was at the Flamingo. 

—“And for the last year or two she has been washed up like poison.”

—Stanley uses the simile ‘like poison’ to describe the rejection that Blanche has faced over the past few years. ‘Poison’ suggests that Blanche harms everyone she comes into contact with and forces people to try and avoid her; something that is probably true of Blanche but is a description that also conveys Stanley’s rage towards her. 

—“It’s possible that some of the things he said are partly true. There are things about my sister I don’t approve of- things that caused sorrow at home.”

—The hedging that Stella uses in this statement, such as ‘possible’ and ‘partly’, imply that Stella is telling the truth of how she really feels about Blanche, but that she struggles to admit her feelings to herself. At Belle Reve, Blanche was always the more dominant and controlling sister, so it is likely that Stella is reluctant about having, or admitting, any negative feelings towards her sister for fear of what Blanche would do.

—“A hot bath and a long, cold drink always gives me a brand new outlook on life!”

—Taking a hot bath and having a drink of alcohol provide Blanche with a means of escape of the reality that she is living. She claims they give her a ‘brand new outlook’ on her life, however they only disguise and distort her current situation by fuelling her fantasies and delusions. 

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 6

Summary

—Blanche and Mitch return from their night out together and discuss their relationship.

—Blanche explains that she will be leaving soon and describes how rude Stanley is towards her in order to find out what Mitch knows about her and to persuade him to ask her to stay.

—Mitch and Blanche then talk about Mitch’s mother before Blanche explains everything that happened on the night that Allan died.

Key Quotations

—“The utter exhaustion which only a neurasthenic personality can know is evident in Blanche’s voice and manner.”

—Blanche is exhausted from trying to deceive Mitch to make him want her. A “neurasthenic personality” is characterised by fatigue, anxiety, aches and pains, insomnia and a poor appetite which are often clearly visible in Blanche.

—“The one that says the lady must entertain the gentleman- or no dice!”

—Blanche believes that it is the lady’s job to “entertain” or to have sex with the man otherwise there will be no “dice” or relationship. This reinforces Blanche’s old-fashioned ideals and although we do not know whether or not she actually feels this way, it demonstrates her view of a stereotypical woman’s role.

“Can I- uh- kiss you- good night?”

—Despite being in a relationship for some time now, Mitch still has to ask Blanche for permission to kiss her. This shows that he feels inferior to Blanche and that he sees her of someone with such importance that he cannot act without her permission. This suggests that Blanche’s façade, of appearing to be “prim and proper”, is having almost reverse effects and now Mitch doesn’t feel like he is worthy of Blanche’s love. 

—“I want you to have a drink!...now for these few last remaining moments of our lives together- I want to create- joie de vivre!”

We already know that Blanche relies heavily on alcohol and here she makes and excuse that Mitch needs a drink so that she can have one herself. She then becomes quite hyperbolic and talks about spending their final moments together in order to make Mitch ask her to stay. Her use of exclamatives show her desperation and makes her words more dramatic. 

—“Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir? Vous ne comprenez pas? Ah, quel dommage!”

Here Blanche talks in French to express her real feelings as she knows that Mitch won’t understand her. She asks if he would like to sleep with her that evening which demonstrates her desire towards Mitch and that she really likes him. However, her use of the formal “vous” reinforces her façade of being proper and formal and it also implies a sense of distance as at this stage in their relationship, she should be using the informal “tu”. She then exclaims “quel dommage!” which is slightly sarcastic as Blanche is extremely glad that Mitch cannot understand what she is saying, however in some ways she wishes he could so that he understands how she truly feels. 

—“Samson! Go on, lift me.”

—This line has a very biblical allusion as in the bible, Samson is a very strong character who loses his strength after Delilah cuts off his hair. In ‘Streetcar’ Mitch could be the representation of Samson and Blanche the representation of Delilah as ultimately, Blanche is the cause of Mitch’s un-doing. 

“He was a boy, just a boy, when I was a very young girl. When I was sixteen, I made the discovery- love. All at once and much, much too completely.”

—Blanche implies that love is naïve and innocent as she was so young when she first discovered it. She uses anadiplosis on “much” and an intensifier to try and convey her feelings towards her experience. She now realises that she was so in love that she didn’t see the consequences of it all. 

—“Polka music sounds, in a minor key faint with distance… Then the polka resumes in a major key.”

The polka music is used as a sign of Blanche’s mental deterioration and plays in Blanche’s head whenever she talks about Allan. When the music is in a minor key, it creates a tense atmosphere which reflects Blanche’s feelings just before she found Allan dead. When the music resumes in a major key, it presents the resolution to the tension and here Blanche describes the aftermath of Allan’s suicide in a very factual way which is completely devoid of emotion. This contrasts to when the music was in a minor key, where her monologue was entirely about her emotions. 

—“Sometimes- there’s God- so quickly!”

—This final line is extremely ambiguous as it could have multiple meanings. It could mean that people are sent from God (Mitch) so quickly and that God answers Blanche’s prayers before she even asks them, or it could mean that God takes people away (Allan Grey) so quickly and that there is nothing you can do to stop it. 

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 5

Summary
—Blanche is writing a letter to Shep Huntleigh when there is an episode of domestic violence between Steve and Eunice.

—Stanley asks Blanche if she knows someone named Shaw which tells her that he has found some things out about her past in Laurel.

—Blanche explains to Stella her feelings about what happened in Laurel and towards Mitch but Stella doesn’t pay much attention.

—Stella leaves with Stanley and a young man arrives at the house whilst Blanche is alone and she ends up kissing him.

—Suddenly Mitch appears at the house with a bunch of roses.

Key Quotations

—“Have got to be seductive- put on soft colours, the colours of butterfly wings.”

—Blanche describes the colours as being “the colours of butterfly wings” which is an antithesis with Scene 1 where Blanche is described as being a “moth”. This shows that Blanche believes you have to be delicate and attractive to be loved and wanted.

—“And you’ve got to have your existence admitted by someone, if you’re going to have someone’s protection.”

—Blanche desperately craves protection and she believes that in order to get someone’s protection, that person has to find you attractive. However Blanche doesn’t realise that she already has other people’s protection as Stella continuously protects her from things that could upset her and Mitch tries to protect her at the beginning of their relationship. 

—“I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick. It isn’t enough to be soft. You’ve got to be soft and attractive. And I- I’m fading now!”

—Blanche isn’t sure how long she can keep on pretending that she is young and “proper”. She thinks that in order to find a partner she must be both soft and attractive and that she is expected to maintain this for the rest of her life. She uses a false start and an exclamative which suggests that she is upset about the process of ageing and also quite afraid of it. 

“What  mean is- he thinks I’m sort of- prim and proper, you know! I want to deceive him enough to make him- want me…”

—Because Blanche has put on a façade in front of Mitch she is now under pressure to keep it up. She has made him believe that she is “prim and proper” because she thinks that that is the way you have to be if you want someone to protect you. She says “I want to deceive him enough to make him want me” which shows that she is so desperate for Mitch to like her that she will do anything, including lying to him. 

—“Young, young, young, young- man! Has anyone ever told you that you look like a young prince out of the Arabian Nights?”

—Blanche’s repetition of “young” could be a filler while she thinks of something to say, however she could also be proving to herself that she is still able to appeal to the younger generations. She compliments the young man to make it more likely for him to do what she wants, which is to let her kiss him. Also comparing him to a “prince” shows that she wants to be seen with someone superior so that she appears to be superior herself. 

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 4

Summary
—We see the aftermath of the domestic violence where we learn that Stella has forgiven Stanley and spent the night with him.

—Blanche and Stella discuss the events where Blanche explains to Stella how worried she was about her and how shocked she is that Stella has gone back to Stanley.

—Blanche then expresses her disgust towards Stanley to Stella but unknown to them both, Stanley has quietly entered the house and overhears the whole of their conversation…

Key Quotations

—“I’m going to do something. Get hold of myself and make myself a new life!”

—Here Williams uses amplificato to reinforce Blanche’s point and to help convince Stella that she is going to change. The use of an exclamative suggests that Blanche really believes in what she is saying and that perhaps she has a certain desire to make herself a new life. In some parts of the play we can see that Blanche realises that her life and her mental health are falling apart and she wants to try to change that. However for the majority of the play she is completely oblivious.

—“I said I am not in anything that I have a desire to get out of.”

—Desire is an involuntary feeling that cannot be stopped very easily. Therefore Stella does not leave Stanley even though she may have voluntary feelings to leave. This uncontrollable desire for each other is what holds Stella and Stanley’s marriage together but it could also become the cause of their separation. This is the one thing that Blanche does not understand about her sister as it is a feeling that she has never truly felt.

—“Stanley doesn’t give me a regular allowance, he likes to pay bills himself, but- this morning he gave me ten dollars to smooth things over.”

—This shows that Stanley has complete financial control over Stella and that he results to bribery to stop his own wife from leaving him. The fact that Stella accepts his bribe could suggest that she forgives him and is in need of the money or it could imply that she feels as though Stanley needs to prove to her that he actually loves her and so by giving her money, it gives Stella a piece of that control back. 

—“But there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark- that sort of make everything else seem- unimportant.”

Stella is so attracted to Stanley’s passionate side that she feels that it is a good enough reason to excuse Stanley’s violent behaviour. She uses a euphemism which makes what she is saying sound more romantic and special. However her use of the hedge ‘sort of’ could imply that it doesn’t completely excuse everything that has taken place, and she says ‘unimportant’ rather than a word such as ‘forgotten’ which also implies that although she doesn’t totally forgive Stanley, she is able to stop his actions from directly affecting her.

—“It brought me here.- Where I’m not wanted and where I’m ashamed to be…”

—Due to the events that have taken place in Blanche’s life she now views any kind of desire as being ruinous. She says that desire, both literally by the streetcar and metaphorically by her desire to be wanted by someone, has brought her to Stella’s house where she feels out of place. She uses the word ‘ashamed’ which suggests feelings of embarrassment and that she doesn’t want to be there, when in fact she needs Stella and Stanley as otherwise she wouldn’t have anywhere to go.  

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 3

Summary

We see the end of the poker game and Blanche and Stella return from their night out.

—Stanley gets angry over Blanche and Stella doing what they want and Blanche and Mitch meet for the first time.

—Stanley ends up hitting Stella which is the first act of violence that we see.

—Stella goes upstairs to Eunice’s whilst Stanley begs for her to come back.

—She eventually gives in and spends the night with Stanley, forgiving him for his actions.

—Blanche is in shock at the events and Mitch tries to console her.

Key Quotations
—“And if God choose, I shall but love thee better- after- death!”

—This is the inscription on Mitch’s cigarette case that Blanche pretends not to be able to read so that he will move closer to her. It could represent Blanche and Allan Grey as since his death, Blanche has realised just how much of an impact he had on her and so loves him more after his death.

—“Sick people have such deep, sincere attachments. Sorrow makes for sincerity, I think.”

—Blanche is talking about Mitch’s dead girlfriend here but is also sub-consciously talking about herself and her own experiences. Blanche is mentally ‘sick’ and has formed deep attachments to many things such as Allan Grey, his poems to her and Stella. However she says that sorrow makes for ‘sincerity’ but throughout the play so far, Blanche has continuously deceived others about all aspects of her life, which is not very sincere. 

—“I’m not accustomed to have more than one drink. Two is the limit- and three! Tonight I had three.”

—This is not the first time Blanche has lied about her alcohol threshold and here we begin to see just how much she relies on it to make her life a bit easier. It is also part of her façade towards Mitch as she wants to appear to be desirable but also someone who is dainty and fragile. 

—“I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark of a vulgar action.”

This declarative gives Blanche an air of superiority and of being from the upper classes as she makes out that she is too delicate to stand under a naked light bulb or hear any rude remarks. This is a big part of her façade as we know that the real reason Blanche cannot stand bright light is because she is desperately trying to hide the signs of her ageing. She is a very insecure character and feels the need to put on this front to attract others to her as she craves protection and admiration. 

—“Stanley charges after Stella.”

This is where we see the first incident of domestic violence and the way that it is dealt with. The word ‘charges’ creates connotations of a bull and other animalistic qualities which makes the actual domestic violence act seem a lot more primitive. It also shows us that the violence was on purpose and that Stanley meant to teach his wife a lesson.

—“(with heaven-splitting violence) STELL-LAHHHHHH!”

This is where we see Stanley’s vulnerable side for the first time as he desperately tries to get Stella to come back. We see that Stanley needs Stella as he wants to have control over someone and he also needs Stella to make him feel superior. Stanley presumably also loves Stella even though we never hear him say it to her or say anything that indicates his love for her.

—“There’s so much- so much confusion in the world…Thank you for being so kind! I need kindness now.”

—Blanche is extremely shocked by the domestic violence and the fact that no-one else seems surprised by it. Her repetition of ‘so much’ shows her disbelief and reinforces how confused she feels about everything. She thanks Mitch for being kind to her as though no-one else has been kind to her which shows us that she has been hurt indirectly by the events. Blanche says that she needs kindness which suggests that she needs it to make her feel better. Her final line in Scene 11 ‘I have always depended on the kindness of strangers’ demonstrates the comfort she finds in other people’s kindness towards her.

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 2

Summary
—Stella reveals to Stanley that Belle Reve has been lost and an argument over how it has been lost ensues.

—Stella leaves and Blanche comes out of the bath only to be faced with Stanley interrogating her about Belle Reve.

—Blanche eventually hands over all of the mortgage papers to Stanley who studies them closely.

—Stanley then tells Blanche that Stella is pregnant and Blanche and Stella leave to go out before the poker party begins.

Key Quotes

—“It looks to me like you have been swindled, baby, and when you’re swindled under the Napoleonic code I’m swindled too. And I don’t like to be swindled.”

—Stanley’s obsession with the Napoleonic code demonstrates that he needs to have control over Stella and her possessions. The repetition of the word ‘swindled’ reinforces his point that they have been cheated out of money however his anger is due to the fact that he won’t get any of the earnings. Stanley shows no sympathy towards Stella when Belle Reve is lost because he is too desperate to be in control of Stella’s life. 

“Stanley: The Kowalskis and the DuBois have different notions. Stella: Indeed they have, thank heavens!”

—After Stella and Stanley’s argument, Stanley comments that he and Stella (the Kowalskis) have different notions from Blanche (the DuBois). However Stella’s reply implies that she is siding with Blanche as she doesn’t feel she has the same notions as here husband. Knowing how the play ends this is an unexpected comment as Stella chooses to side with Stanley, despite claiming that she doesn’t share the same views as him. 

—“Everyone has something he won’t let others touch because of their- intimate nature…”

—Here Blanche talks about the love poems that Allan had written for her as being ‘intimate’. This shows that they mean a lot to Blanche as they are a constant reminder that someone loved her and they are also the last things she has left of Allan’s. The way Williams describes these poems make it seem like they are a representation of Blanche and that Stanley’s mishandling of the letters foreshadows the events in Scene 10.

—“…our improvident grand-fathers and fathers and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornications.”

This polysyndetic list not only demonstrates the patriarchy within their society but it also shows us that Blanche places the blame for the loss of Belle Reve on her ancestors. The repetition of the word ‘and’ in the list implies that there were lots of people involved, with a whole new generation being added after each ‘and’. The use of the word ‘epic’ suggests that Blanche does not approve of the choices they made as they have ultimately cost her her future.

—“…especially now that she’s going to have a baby.”

Throughout the second half of this scene there has been a power struggle between Blanche and Stanley over the loss of Belle Reve. For the most part, particularly before Blanche gets out the mortgage papers, Blanche is in control of the conversation as she is the one that holds all of the information. However Stanley is ultimately the one who wins as he delivers this final line to Blanche, which not only informs her that Stella is pregnant but signals to her that she has now lost her final hope as Stella has a bigger loyalty to Stanley. 

A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 1

Summary

—We are introduced to the New Orleans area and the way of life there.

—We are introduced to Stella, Stanley and Eunice.

—We meet Blanche as she arrives unexpectedly at Stella and Stanley’s house.

—Through dialogue we start to learn about the character’s backgrounds and we are told that Blanche and Stella’s family have all died and the family home, Belle Reve, has been lost.

—We are also told that Blanche’s husband died.

Key Quotations

—“Her appearance is incongruous to this setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat.”

—We are told immediately that Blanche is “incongruous” to the setting which suggests that no matter what happens she will never truly fit in. Blanche is “daintily” dressed which suggests fragility and care over her appearance and her clothes are all white which gives the illusion of purity and innocence. Her “fluffy bodice” and her “necklace and earrings of pearl” clearly demonstrate her wealth and imply that she is of an upper class.

—“Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggest a moth.”

—Here we are told that Blanche’s “delicate” beauty must avoid a strong light which gives us the illusion that she is fragile and of an upper class. It is also the start of the theme of light which is referred to throughout the whole play. The comparison of Blanche to a moth is important as it not only becomes an antithesis later on in the play, but it implies connotations of intrusion and dislike. Moths are attracted to light as they believe there is eternal darkness behind the light and similarly Blanche is “attracted” to Stella and Stanley’s home (the light) as she believes that it is there that she will find comfort and protection (the darkness).

—“They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at- Elysian Fields!”

—Here we are introduced to the idea that desire leads to death which then leads to the after-life. In Greek mythology, Elysian Fields was the resting place for the most heroic and virtuous individuals and is described as a form of paradise. Blanche presumably knew this and so it explains her shock and disbelief when she arrives at Stella’s apartment as she is expecting a place that resembles paradise. 

—“Blanche sits in a chair very stiffly with her shoulders slightly hunched and her legs pressed close together and her hands tightly clutching her purse as if she were quite cold… She pours a half tumbler of whisky and tosses it down.”

—Here we are immediately introduced to both Blanche’s anxiety and her dependence on alcohol. The adverbs “stiffly” and “tightly” suggest tension and fear whilst her shoulders being “slightly hunched” and acting as if she were “quite cold” suggests that she is fragile and is attempting to make herself as small as possible in order to protect herself. Her use of alcohol to release tension is something that is introduced very early on and is also something that is a recurring theme throughout the play. The word “tosses” implies that she is in desperate need of a release and that she is also conscious to disguise it.

—“Well, Stella- you’re going to reproach me, I know that you’re bound to reproach me- but before you do- take into consideration- you left! I stayed and struggled!”

—Blanche’s use of a discourse marker indicates that there is going to be a change in mood and topic. The use of a diacope of the word “reproach” suggests that Blanche assumes the worst and that she has convinced herself that Stella will be disappointed in her. Blanche’s hyphenated sentences demonstrate her anxiety and worry as does her use of exclamatives. The use of sibilance in “stayed and struggled” not only expresses Blanche’s distress but also gives an almost sinister tone to her words. 

—“I stayed and fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it!”

Blanche’s use of a tricolon as well as amplificato really reinforces her point that she never left Belle Reve. Williams’ lexical choices of “fought”, “bled” and “died” create a semantic field of a battle which shows us that Blanche views the loss of Belle Reve to be a horrific thing. This choice of semantic field also helps Blanche to emphasise her point of how she tried really hard not to lose Belle Reve despite probably knowing that she could never save it on her own. Blanche is trying to make Stella feel guilty for leaving the family home and she succeeds in doing this by creating the image that she desperately needed help but Stella wasn’t there to help her. 

—“He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them.”

The fact that Stanley sexually classifies women tells us that he is a shallow person and is extremely sexually motivated. His first impressions of a woman are very important to him as they determine his behaviour towards them which suggests that he is not someone to hide his feelings towards a woman. The act of classifying another person suggests feelings of superiority and a need for control over other people.

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I will be using this to blog anything related to English like book reviews, creative writing and analysis of things I have studied so far :)