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.