A Streetcar Named Desire Study Notes Scene 7 PDF

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A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 7 _ scripted_ on TES Quotation

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[Late afternoon in midSeptember… a table is set for a birthday supper… cake and flowers]

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[Mimicking] “Soaking in a hot tub?”

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“That girl calls me common! / Lately you have been doing all you can… to rub her the wrong way… is sensitive…” (69)

Character/Setting How is the character portrayed? Image created depending on descriptors/dialogue Stanley and violence:  Stanley’s violence heightens as Blanche’s ability to distinguish reality from fantasy fades. 

Blanche has also brought upon her own fate due to her deranged life and hypocrisy, however, in the audience’s eyes, she is still deemed vulnerable.

Analysis Language or structural techniques? Effect? Perceptive points?

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“Feeding us a pack of lies… Now the cat’s out of the bag… Things I already suspected. But now I got proof… most reliable sources.” “She is as famous… as if she was the President of the United States… not respected by any party.” (70)

Stanley and the truth:  Blanche is hypocritical and Stanley displays this in the most ugly light, and goes on further to ruin Stella’s view of her sister. 

Although Stanley is antagonised in the audience’s perceptions, his revelations are not far from the truth, thus we, akin to Blanche, are held captive in our sympathise for the opposing characters.

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Contextual/Thematic Significance What aspects of the context does it link to in relation to themes?

“Afternoon… mid-September”“Afternoon” is symbolic of the central nature of the play; structurally, each scene always begins in “medias ris,” to suggest how Blanche is caught up in the new world, with no escape from both her reality and her fantasy. “[Mimicking] Soaking in a hot tub?”Stanley’s mimicking highlights his vulgar attitude; this action also echoes how he will taunt Blanche forcing her into her fantasy. Blanche “soaking in a hot tub” alludes to the idea that she has a desire to escape her real age. “Girl calls me common!”- Stanley’s anger is emphasised by the exclamation mark to highlight his need to maintain power within the French quarter. The label of “girl” reduces Blanche’s power, making her seem young and vulnerable. “Me” is italicised to envelop his egotistical nature; he seems to shift the power dynamic towards himself through intonation. “Rub her the wrong way… sensitive”Stella’s defensive role is somewhat out-ofplace. Alliteration of “w” creates a wailing tone, almost as if Stella sympathises with Blanche’s situation. It could also echo the strange animal noises Blanche hears in the next few scenes.

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Masculinity: Stanley’s obsession in maintaining power is exemplified continually through the tension and rift Williams creates between him and Blanche.

“Feeding… pack of lies… cat’s out of the bag”- “Cat” symbolises the screeching; Blanche has overlooked all the warning symbols and her past can no longer be hidden. The idiom ironically rather than hiding the truth in a poetic way, aims to reveal it, suggesting how Blanche’s employment of deception deceived her instead. “Pack of lies” acts as a metaphor; Blanche is almost carrying the weight of her corrupt past with her. Semantics of “bag” suggests the heaviness of her lies, which seem to drag her down and cause her destruction. “I already suspected… Now I got proof… most reliable sources”- Stanley is obsessed and determined to ruin Blanche, suggesting the extent to which she threatens his position in society. The fact that he “suspected” and then gained “proof” suggests his heightened level of insecurity, which seems peculiar when he insists on enforcing his masculinity on those around him. “Famous… as if she was the President… not respected by any

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Fantasy and reality: Stanley is not sympathising and relishes in the scandalous details, slowly shattering her illusion without Blanche even knowing.

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 7 _ scripted_ on TES

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Moved to the Flamingo… advantage of not interfering … even the management were so impressed by Dame Blanche… requested her to turn in her room key…” (71)

Blanche’s past:  Stanley is keen to reveal the truth, but the audience also notes that Blanche has been mentally unsound for a while.

“Wised up after two or three dates… then they quit… she goes on… same old lines, same old act, same old hooey… became a town character… downright loconuts.”

Blanche’s past:  Blanche’s fantasy is exposed and Stella’s disbelief suggests her sadness for her sister in knowing that what Stanley presents is the truth. 

Stanley enjoys asserting power over Blanche.

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“She has been washed up like poison…no lily… your sister’s was one of the places called ‘Out-ofBounds?” (71)

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“Only a paper

Blanche’s fate:

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party”- The hyperbolic comparison to the “President” mocks Blanche to the most simplistic level, stripping away any dignity. Negative use of “not… any party” alludes to Blanche’s isolation, further pushing her away from the new society. “Even the management… impressed by Dame Blanche”- “Dame” mocks Blanche’s origins, suggesting his egotistical state. Stanley uses his speech more so, to better himself in Stella’s eyes whilst ruining Blanche. “Requested her to turn in her room key”- “Turn in” is symbolic of how Blanche was perhaps forced by the societal laws to leave. She is almost punished, as though her helplessness and mental instability are a crime. “Wised up… they quit”- “Wised up” suggests that Blanche casts men under a spell, in this case, her façade. Stanley’s tone of voice makes it seem as though Blanche’s desperate yearning for love is unacceptable in society, which is ironic as they are the basic needs of humanity. “Quit” almost deems Blanche as a job, suggesting that she has been a burden to everyone around her, thus evoking a sense of pathos. “Goes on… same old lines, same old act, same old hooey”- Repetition of “same” suggests the cyclical and tiring nature of Blanche’s life; she is perhaps in an inescapable reverie, trapped within her past and her social upbringing. Colloquialism of “hooey” suggests his carelessness towards Blanche; he merely wants to destroy Blanche and shift the power dynamic. “Same” also contrasts with how she puts on different facades to satisfy different needs. “Town character… downright loconuts”- Lexis of “character” and the colloquial terms “loco” and nuts” allude to Blanche’s instability, yet the colloquial tone of delivery form Stanley dismisses the seriousness of Blanche’s fragility. “Been washed up like poison… no lily”- Lilies are symbolic of purity, chastity and death. It is ironic that Stanley mentions lilies, almost conforming to the fact that he has a role to play in Blanche’s death. “Washed up like poison” is a peculiar simile; “Washed up” is associated with cleansing but Stanley ruins her by presenting her in the raw and blinding light. “Sister’s was one of the places called ‘Out-of-Bounds?”- “Out of Bounds” once again isolates her and the hyphenations in-between are indicative of Blanche’s numerous attempts to free her fate, but in vain. “Paper moon… wouldn’t be make-

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Fantasy and reality

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Fantasy and reality Society and class/ Gender: “Poison” suggests the disapproval of women who acted out against the laws of gender within the patriarchy.

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Fantasy and reality

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 7 _ scripted_ on TES moon… it wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me!” 

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“Kicked her out of the high school… seventeen-yearold boy- she’d gotten mixed up with!” [Bathroom… water goes on loud; little breathless cries… peals of laughter… as if a child were frolicking in the tub] (72) “You have such a strange expression… Why don’t you bathe…”

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The fact that Blanche was previously being saved by Mitch, yet Mitch’s own generation is now condemning her.

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Stanley’s excited tone of delivery suggests his thirst for power; he destroys Blanche’s last chance of survival.

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Blanche’s seductive persona causes her to spiral down into a mental breakdown.

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She can only find joy in her fantasies.

Blanche and defeat:  Stella is the mediator between Blanche and Stanley; the emotional gravity of the play is reliant on her actions.

“I don’t believe all of those stories… mean and rotten… possible that some… are partly true… I don’t approve of… She was alwaysflighty!”

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“Very young, she had an experience thatkilled her illusions!” (75)

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“Blanche didn’t just love him but worshipped the ground he walked on! Adored him… found out… man was a degenerate.” [Stanley… takes her by the

Stella’s view of Blanche:  Although Stella is aware of Blanche’s faults, she understands her sister’s fragile state.

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believe if you believed in me!”- Blanche requests for feminine magic from the moon however, the moon is made of “paper,”- metaphor suggests how it easily rips to highlight the fragility of those like Blanche. “Kicked her out… she’d gotten mixed up with”- Guttural consonance of “gotten” and “kicked” allude to Blanche having malicious intentions when she was trying to satiate her love. The phonetic word choice of “gotten” reflects upon reality. “As if a child were frolicking in the tub”- Simile of a “child… frolicking” is extremely ironic as Stanley is slowly breaking her illusion just as she is trying to maintain it. Word choice of “frolicking” suggests her stunted maturity and how she is captive in her past. “Such a strange expression… Why don’t you bathe?”- Sibilance is ironic, as she seems to welcome her own destruction by voicing her dialogue in a hissing tone. The rhetorical questions emphasise how Blanche can only be safe within her illusion; all the solutions to her problems are to resort to a fantasy world; the fact that Stanley shattered it just previously is dramatically ironic. “Don’t believe all of those stories”Stella’s denial suggests her loyalty to Blanche; she becomes more independent in Blanche’s presence and her bravery is suggested by the contraction of “don’t”. Word choice of “stories” brings down Stanley’s importance, thus Stella begins to dilute his power. “Mean and rotten… possible that some are partly true”- “Rotten” links with the decaying old South; the oxymoronic nature of “partly true” suggests how Stella is accepting of Blanche’s faults. “She was always- flighty!”- The hyphenation isolates Blanche further, almost as if her persona was neither accepted in the past nor the future. “Young… had an experience… killed her illusions!”- “Killed her illusions” is ironic as Blanche’s dreams probably faded, forcing her to cling onto them in the hope of fulfilling her hopes. “Didn’t just love… worshipped the ground he walked on!”- Religious imagery of “worshipped” suggests how Allan’s death made Blanche lose faith in love and everything she stood for as she resorted to fantasy. “Adored him… found out… degenerate”- “Degenerate” isolates him from the world just as Stella isolates Blanche through her dialogue.

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Society and class Fantasy and reality

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Society and class Power

A Streetcar Named Desire- Study Notes: Scene 7 _ scripted_ on TES shoulders rather gently… she gently withdraws… she starts sticking little pink candles] (73)

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“Mitch is a buddy… we were in the same outfit…”

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“I told him! I’d have that on my conscience the rest of my life… if I… let my best friend get caught! (76)

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Stanley and Mitch:  Stanley and Mitch are part of the same world. 

Mitch is Blanche’s only hope of being able to freely live in her illusion and making it a reality.

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“She’s not stayin’ here after Tuesday… I bought her ticket myself. A busticket!” “Her future is mapped out for her.” [Bathroom door flies open… emerges with a gay peal of laughter… Stanley crosses past her… frightened look appears… almost a look of panic] (77) [Stares fearfully at Stella, who pretends to be busy at the table… distant piano goes into a hectic breakdown] (77)

Blanche’s fate:  Blanche’s act is juxtaposed with Stanley’s malicious revelations, resorting to dramatic irony. 

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This forewarns how Mitch falls out of love with her, causing her illusions to shatter. Perhaps Stella has always known that Mitch is Blanche’s last chance.

Blanche’s fate:  Blanche’s downfall is acmed.

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“Shoulders rather gently… she gently withdraws”- The opposing use of “gently” suggests Stella’s withdrawal from Stanley’s power. She begins to gain independence in this scene. The fact that Stella also stops at “twenty-five” candles suggests how she does not want Blanche to get hurt. “Were in the same outfit”- The outfit is a symbol for Mitch belonging to Stanley’s world; it defines him in society. The costume that Mitch wears forces him to side with the new world. “I’d have that on my conscience the rest of my life”- This dialogue is extremely ironic on Stanley’s part as he is blinded by the fact that he is slowly driving Blanche to her downfall. His thirst for power is exemplified further by word choice. “Let my best friend get caught!”- Word choice of “caught” is also ironic in the predatory sense, as he is the one who actively ruins Blanche. “A bus-ticket!”- “Bus-ticket” is insulting to Blanche as he is aware that she dislikes this; Stanley asserts his dominance over the household. “Future is mapped out for her”“Mapped out’ is ironic as blanche is directionless and has no where to go. The phrase is dramatically ironic as he is the one to decide her doomed fate. “Bathroom flies open… gay peal of laughter”- His continuous rejection of her baths suggests how he shatters her makebelieve world. “Stanley crosses past… frightened look appears… look of panic”- “Crosses” acts as a religious pun to suggest how he decides Blanche’s fate. “Frightened” and “panic” suggest how Blanche’s calm is broken.

“Stares fearfully… Stella… pretends to be busy”- “Pretends” suggest how Stella is now the one to live in an illusion as she is aware of how Blanche will be broken by Stanley. “Distant piano… hectic breakdown”The personification of the piano mirrors and forewarns the shattering of Blanche’s illusion.

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Fate and morality Society and class

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Power and gender Fantasy and reality

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Reality and fate...