SCENE ONE
- Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans: “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!”
- What social hierarchy is established in this scene? Why is this in the play?
- Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella? Explain. How does Stella react to this?
- What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
- Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
- What is Belle Reve? What does the name symbolize?
SCENE TWO
- Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
- What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it? How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
- Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time). What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
- What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
- How was Belle Reve truly lost?
SCENE THREE
- How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
- What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation? What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
- Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
- In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting? Explain.
- What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship? How do we know this?
Scene 1:
ReplyDelete1. These instructions are symbolic of the course Blanche was going to take in her life. Blanche is very often consumed with desire, both sexual and other wise, which leads to her destruction. So Blanche had to take her excessive desire to the cemeteries (or in other words kill this desire) to reach the Elysian Fields where her soul could rest and then embark on a metaphorical new life.
2. Blanche and Stella are of a higher societal upbringing. Stella had lost most of her upper class air, but Blanche still walked about with a “genteel” air, subtly disregarding lower class behaviour. Stanley, belonging to the “Polacks”, is of a lower class than these southern belles and is more “primitive” in nature. Hence there is an undercurrent of hostility towards Blanche. This hostility creates a need to control, which could have led to Stanley raping Blanche.
3. Blanche is resentful towards Stella because in the guilt of losing the house, she believes that Stella blames her for it. Stella left Belle Reve to make a life for herself, while Blanche stayed and tried to protect it. Hence seeing Stella happily in love with Stanley makes her resentful because of all her bitter experiences with men in Laurel. Stella is upset by the loss of the house, which is apparent, by the fact that she starts crying. However I think she was more upset by Blanche’s cold words, which indicated that she did not care about Belle Reve and blamed her for being happy.
(continued...)
ReplyDelete4. From what is apparent in the first scene, in the DuBois world there is a lot of importance given to having a polite air and be considered pleasant and pleasing. Appearances are sometimes given more importance than reality. The Kowalski world on the other hand has “be comfortable” as its motto. Stanley Kowalski is les refined and more open about his feelings and thoughts. He has a primitive air about him as opposed to Blanche’s delicate air.
5. Belle Reve is Stella’s and Blanche’s ancestral home and literally means a beautiful dream. The name not only talks about the beauty of the house, but also of the memories associated with the house. The house is a strong part of Blanche’s identity. However at a closer look, one notices that Belle Reve is grammatically wrong. It uses a feminine adjective for a masculine noun. Hence this hints at the imperfection in Blanche’s beautiful dream, suggesting that everything is not as it appears to be.
I forgot to answer the 4th question. The answers above are for questions 5 and 6.
Delete4. There are several details provided about Blanche's past
a. She grew up in an upper class family in Laurel.
b. Her sister left the house the summer her father died.
c. She was married once, when she was very young, and the boy died
d. There was some experience in her past that left her exhausted and nerve-broken.
e. She was a high school English school teacher
Scene 2:
ReplyDelete1. Blanche’s bathing is symbolic of washing away her past and unpleasant experiences. Hence she does not want Stanley to see her before she washed away her past deeds. It also explains why she felt “like a brand new human being” after her bath.
2. According to the Napoleonic code, a husband had the right over his wife’s property and vice versa. Stanley is concerned about it because the code meant that he owned Belle Reve too. When Stella told him that Belle Reve was lost, he was not very concerned about her emotional state of being. He only thought of it in terms of lost property. Moreover his instinctive reaction was to suspect that they had been cheated out of the property. He was very blatant and direct about his suspicion and acted on this suspicion regardless of the emotions involved. This behaviour can be linked to the evolutionary instinct in animals to tend for themselves in a difficult world, without any emotional attachment to material things. This instinct also keeps them on alert always in anticipation of danger.
3. Though Stanley is ignorant about law, summer furs and jewellery, he does not want to be manipulated because of his ignorance. His instinctive reaction is to mistrust the other person. However since he himself cannot verify the truth of the other person’s statement, it is possible that he pretends to have an acquaintance who would verify the truth. He probably hopes that this would deter people taking advantage of his ignorance. However it is also possible that he really did have acquaintances in all the fields, which then suggests that he was a very sociable man who used his friends’ knowledge to overcome his ignorance.
4. Stanley was not a man who was taken in by “Hollywood glamour stuff”. He liked women who were straightforward, women who “lay the cards on the table”.
5. From the information available in scene 2, Belle Reve was lost on mortgage and debt duties. There were a lot of deaths in the family and with deaths came debt duties. Moreover money had to be spent on arranging a funeral worthy of their social class. None of the people who had died had left any money as inheritance. Hence all the expenses had to be made out of Blanche’s limited salary. Hence the house was mortgaged and lost.
Scene 3
ReplyDelete1. There are several characteristics that distinguish Mitch from the rest of the men at the poker game. He is more gentlemanly and he is not rough with women. In fact he is very polite and rather protective of them. He also has different priorities. He would rather stay home with his sick mother than play poker. He is sensitive. He is also more mature than his friends, which is evident by the way he took charge when Stanley lost control and suggested that he should be put under the shower.
2. Blanche instinctively flirts with everyone. She tries to portray a dainty appearance of delicacy, innocence and vulnerability, which is evident when she lies by saying, “One is my limit” or “I can’t stand a rude remark or a vulgar action”. She is good at reading people and adapts her behaviour and lies to match what she thinks they will find agreeable. This is evident when she says to Stanley that she doesn’t like wishy-washy people and to Mitch that she was staying with Stella because Stella needed her. The fact that she is so adept at flirting substantiates the first statement that she instinctively flirts with everyone.
3. Blanche fears that light shatters all appearances and shows everyone who she really is, both in terms of looks and character. It is very important for her to be agreeable which she believes is not possible if people see her for who she really is. Hence it is very important for her to cover the light with a paper lantern, especially in the presence of Mitch, in whom she sees a potential husband.
4. Though the particular violent episode in scene 3 seems to be fuelled by Blanche’s presence, violent scenes between Stella and Stanley don’t seem to be uncommon which is apparent by the matter-of-fact tone adopted by Mitch when he says, “It’s a shame it had to happen when you just got here. But don’t take it serious.” This suggests that Mitch was not sad about the violent scene, but more because Blanche had to witness it so soon.
5. The basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship seems to raw animal passion. Their physical bond is much stronger than their intellectual or emotional bond.
This becomes very evident in their manner of reunion when Stanley sobers up after beating Stella. This passion is not animal like merely because of the intense sexual activity. It is animal like because at the core of it, it is not based on any logical decisions. Stanley might have hit her, but at the end of the day, it is physically impossible for both of them to stay away from each other. This is also evident when Stella says “I can hardly stand it if he is away for a night”. It might not be easy to understand, but this bond is as strong as any emotional or intellectual bond.
1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans: “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!”
ReplyDeleteThe Desire here symbolizes the actions that desire prompts. In continuation, cemeteries symbolize death which can be a direct consequence of the following of desires. Elysian Fields is a mythological allusion to a place of bliss where one went after death. There is a slight irony in this chain of symbolization because only the blessed/ones who have lived righteously go the these fields after death and if one dies due to the preponderance of one’s desire, it is not living righteously. This also indicates at a slight inversion of the proper order/sequence of life.
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene? Why is this in the play?
The social hierarchy places Blanche and Stella at the top followed by Stanley. Both sisters are appear to be from respectable families of means and seem cultured. Stanley is an immigrant and nothing is known about his family. He is also poor, which compounds his inferior social standing.
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella? Explain. How does Stella react to this?
Blanche is resentful of Stella because she believes Stella is blaming her of losing Belle Reve. This hostility is increased because inwardly, Blanche blames Stella for not being there at the time. Stella does offer some weak arguments against Blanche but she ultimately breaks down crying.
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
He reveals that Blanche had a economically difficult past and had to fight to save her property. He also reveals that things weren’t always as difficult before the property struggle. He also reveals that she is a widow and a teacher at Laurel (or Auriol).
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
The Dubois world is refined, stresses on mannerisms and societal niceties and believes in maintaining a social stature. The Kowlaski world is coarse and not interested in maintaining a social profile. The Kowlaski world is about the raw form of man’s desires and whims (the reality of man) while the Dubois world is about appearance and facades and is concerned with appearance of man.
6. What is Belle Reve? What does the name symbolize?
Belle Reve is French for ‘beautiful dream’. This may be connected to the nostalgia that glorifies the past more than it has really been and thus the past seems like a beautiful dream from which the characters have now been woken up to the less appealing reality (now that the house is lost). Alternatively, it may also refer to the past that Blanche is using to cloak her present economical conditions around. Her dresses from the past, for example, hide her present financial status. Owing to the grammatical error in the name, there is a suggestion of a flaw (the past is not hiding her present and neither was it beautiful).
Scene 1:
ReplyDelete(1)The most obvious symbol in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” is the actual reference to the streetcars named “Desire” and “Cemeteries”. When Blanche initially arrives at Stella’s home, she is possessed with a desire for love and understanding, yet is always haunted by the fear of death and destruction. Thus, the two overarching themes – desire and death – are reflected in the names of the streetcars, and permeate the entirety of the play. Furthermore, if “Desire” cannot be attained, a “transfer” to “Cemeteries” will be the inevitable alternative. Also, while the rush of a locomotive is a symbol for Blanche’s relentless fate, the locomotive engine is associated with Stanley – extremely powerful, modern, and highly impressive. The destination for Blanche’s streetcar is “Elysian Fields”, a section of New Orleans where Stella and Stanley live, and also a reference to Greek mythology meaning paradise. In the play, Stanley and Stella have created a sort of blissful paradise in Elysian Fields, filled with happiness and contentment. Yet, ironically, Elysian Fields has the opposite effect on Blanche; she finds only sorrow and destruction. Thus, Blanche’s intrusion upon the lives of her sister and husband will render Stella and Stanley forever changed and unhappy in the midst of Elysian Fields, long after Blanche’s departure. Alas, Elysian Fields reflects the intrinsic theme of the play – appearance versus reality – in that Stella’s and Stanley’s home looks nothing like what she expected.
(2)Blanche and Stella, unlike Stanley, are from an extremely wealthy background. While Stella has lost most of her upper-class air, Blanche still possesses a genteel charm, dismissing members of the working-class, such as Stanley. It is intriguing how, on some level, Stanley and Blanche are contrasting symbols of America. While Blanche is a Southern belle who is representative of the new America – egalitarian and vibrant – Stanley is frighteningly animalistic and representative of the old America, rooted in old plantation culture and in the hardship of slavery. In the midst of this rivalry, Stella develops into a fragile link between these two strongly opposing forces. The hostility formed between Blanche and Stanley is absolutely necessary to the plot of the play, forcing centuries of inequality to create Stanley’s need for superiority, which ultimately manifests in the inevitable rape.
(3)Blanche harbours resentment towards Stella for leaving Belle Reve when things were falling apart. While Stella left Belle Reve to make a life for herself, Blanche stayed behind only to lose their family home. Thus, in a way, Blanche is defensive because she believes that Stella blames her for the loss of Belle Reve. Although Blanche expresses her resentment towards Stella, Stella is only able to offer feeble responses to her sister’s accusations, and ends up crying in the bathroom.
(4)Although Williams doesn’t explicitly reveal details about Blanche’s past, the audience can conclude certain ideas from the exchange of dialogue. We know that Blanche was a high school English teacher who grew up in an upper-class family in Laurel with her sister, Stella. Also, although the two stayed at Belle Reve, Stella left the house the summer their father passed away. Although it is still unclear, Blanche faced numerous difficult ordeals which left her scarred and nervous, one of which was her marriage to a young boy who mysteriously died.
(cont...)
ReplyDelete(5)The Dubois world and the Kowalski world are polar opposites. The Dubois world is refined, with an emphasis placed on the superficialities of societal norms and manners. On the other hand, the Kowalski world is strikingly rough and coarse, with an importance placed on being “comfortable” and embracing the very animalistic aspect of human nature and desire. Thus, the Dubois world and the Kowalski world come to represent the essential theme of the play – the conflict between appearance and reality.
(6)Belle Reve is the name of Blanche’s family home in Mississippi. In French, it means “beautiful dream”, something that Blanche seeks indefinitely but never actually experiences. Interestingly, there is a grammatical error in the name, suggesting that this “dream” is deeply flawed and intangible, an idea that is overtly expressed through the loss of the house and with it, its glorified dreams of the past.
Scene 2:
ReplyDelete(1)Blanche’s excessive bathing is symbolic of her futile attempts to wash away her past. In order to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans, she bathes frequently to cleanse herself of her history. Also, Blanche’s name means “white” in French. Thus, when Williams wrote the character, he must have included the symbolism of Blanche’s bathing to imply that, while she started out pure, she has become dirty and needs to re-establish her purity. Yet, just as she cannot erase her past, she can never complete her bathing ritual which results in her repetition of the same action without positive results.
(2)The Napoleonic Code is a code of law recognized in New Orleans from the days of the French rule that places women’s property in the hands of their husbands. Although Stella attempts to explain Blanche’s great ordeal of losing Belle Reve, Stanley is more interested in the bill of sale from Belle Reve. Furthermore, he believes that Blanche has swindled Stella out of her rightful share of the estate, which means that he has been swindled as well. By referring to the Napoleonic Code, Stanley justifies his feelings of entitlement to Stella’s inheritance. His repeated references to the code highlight the fact that his argument with Blanche is a gender conflict, thus revealing Stanley’s inherent greed and misogynistic tendencies. Hence, through Stanley’s association with the Napoleonic Code, Williams has managed to reinforce Stanley’s animalistic nature.
(3)While the Napoleonic Code only applies to property in New Orleans, Stanley displays a certain amount of ignorance by revealing his unfamiliarity with the Code, mistakenly applying the Napoleonic Code to Belle Reve, an estate in Mississippi. Yet, it is obvious that he does not want to be manipulated by this ignorance; thus, his reference to “an acquaintance” is primarily an attempt to show that someone else can verify the truth. Thus, through this, he hopes to deter people from taking advantage of his ignorance.
(cont...)
ReplyDelete(4)As revealed in Scene 1, Stanley dismissal of Blanche’s beauty is significant as it shows that she does not exude the same brand of carnal desire as he does. Furthermore, in Scene 2, the audience finds that Stanley is interested in a women who “lay (their) cards on the table”, and thus, are “straightforward and honest”, much like himself. He also clearly states that he is not the type to be taken by the “Hollywood glamor”, and doesn’t compliment women as Blanche expects him to compliment her.
(5)Belle Reve was lost on mortgage and debt. Because of the numerous deaths in the family, Blanche was forced to give up the house in order to pay the debts and afford the costly funerals. Also, because none of the people who died left an inheritance, the expenses had to made using Belle Reve and Blanche’s limited salary as a teacher.
Act 2
ReplyDelete1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
It appears that she bathes to achieve a renewed perspective of herself. This shows that she is trying to get away from the past and that there is a sense of guilt associated with it. Blanche’s bathing also portrays that she likes to be dainty and always appear fresh and clean.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it? How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
According to the Napoleonic code, the one spouse’s property belongs to the other. Thus, Stella’s property belongs to Stanley as well. Stanley is concerned about it because he believes that he possesses the house and that he has been duped. The animal-like image of Stanley is emphasized when he starts drawing (rather boisterously) clothes from Blanche’s trunk and he does not go out when she comes out from her bath. Not only are these bad manners, but their intensity is increased when they are performed against a woman, and an alone one at that. Stanley’s actions show that he is incapable of the gentlemanliness and civilized mannerism that separate modern man from the Neanderthal man.
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time). What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
This shows that Stanley has a variety of fairly important friends and that he must have a kind of personality (at least outside his home) that helps him make friends. Alternatively, Stanley could also be fibbing about his acquaintances so that he appears important to his wife and so that his she knows that Blanche cannot cheat him.
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
Stanley likes women who are unpretentious and straightforward. His attraction is based primarily on physical appearance and he has little patience with flirting and frivolous talk.
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?
It is not very clear but it seems that the property of Belle Reve kept diminishing due to the acts of the sisters’ ancestors and finally it was mortgaged by Blanche.
Scene 3
ReplyDelete1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
Mitch is significant different from the other men. His sense of duty (towards his mother) is so strong that it almost overrules desires which would otherwise have been common in men of that social and economic stature (gambling, drinking etc.) He is also a gentleman and is unfailingly polite to the women of the house. His attention can be captured by dainty talking and general frivolous behaviour (unlike Stanley). Mitch is also more considerate towards women in general- this is evident through his behaviour and his remark that gambling should not happen in a house where there are women.
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation? What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
Blanche’s flirtation involves a great deal of lying and concealing (mostly about her intake of alcohol and age) and also involves associating positive imagery with herself that would cause the person in front of her to remember her (for example, she explains her name’s meaning as ‘white woods’ and associates it with an orchard in winter). This routine of flirtation also involves a certain fishing around for compliments (she calls herself an ‘old maid’) and then deciding the future course of flirtation based on the man’s response to this. It is evident that this routine is memorized because we see her lying to both Stanley and Mitch in the same manner and then deciding the future course based on their compliments (or non-compliments). The sequence of flirting is thus prefixed.
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
This is for many reasons. First, she is hyper conscious of her withering looks and too much light would only worsen her appearance by making her flaws evident. Second, symbolically, abundance of light increases the visibility of the subject. Blanche does not want much attention to some aspects of herself as it makes her feel like her past is under scrutiny and her reality can be revealed. Third, intolerance of too much light (or a vulgar remark) represent a feminine vulnerability and delicateness, which were important parts of a woman’s ability to attract (in those days).
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting? Explain.
Blanche, not Stella, excited Stanley’s wrath 2 times when she played the radio against his will. This fury is what made Stanley hit Stella. Stella would probably not have fuelled his temper on her own (in absence of Blanche). Thus, this particular violent scene would not have occurred if Blanche had not been visiting. However, it is evident through Mitch’s dialogues that such scenes are common in the house.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship? How do we know this?
Their relationship is based on raw and simple attraction and desire towards each other. Even if there are violent episodes, self-respect or dignity (or even self-preservation) does not restrain Stella from going back to Stanley. The power balance in the relationship tilts in favour of Stanley. He does not even apologize for his violent behaviour but rather demands Stella back as if she were a good he possessed. Their reunion is also very animalistic in that there is a direct show of emotions but no words to accompany it. This shows that their relationship is based on desire rather than love.
1. The instructions which were given to Blanche in the starting of the are symbolic of the journey of life and as well as what Blanche needs to do to go to the other side of the life, there are three symbols, which also tells us that Blanche needs to take her desire which is both sexual and other desires and take them to the graves in the cemeteries so that she can be relieved of them and go to the afterlife on the elysian fields.
ReplyDelete2. The Dubois family brought their kids Stella and Blanche, they are of a higher class than Stanley and thus when Stella marries Stanley, she loses a lot of her poised and upper class attitude but blanche as she was there in Auriol she did not lose her attitude and her “genteelness” , but she could not tolerate the lower class behavior which Stanley had, she used to call Stanley a “Polack”, which is of a lower class than the southern belles , thus there is a conflict between Blanche and Stanley all throughout the play and the difference might have even led to Stanley raping Blanche.
3. Blanche is resentful towards Stella because she had lost Belle Reve as she was ought to protect it and safeguard it, it was both hers and Stella’s property. But Stella left Auriol to make a family and stay happy whereas Blanche stayed back and kept fighting for it and had very bad experiences with men and thus after coming to New Orleans and seeing Stella having a very happy life, which did to an extent upset her, and when she was telling stella about losing Belle Reve she was mostly trying to tell Stella how she was never with her and had left but she stayed and kept on fighting and was mostly seen as accusing Stella as a reason why Belle Reve was lost.
4. Tennessee Williams gives some details about Blanche’s past some of the things that Williams told us were that Blanche was an high school English teacher and that she had had experience which rattled her nerves and made her go paranoid and that when she was married her husband was shot and that left her with a lot of grief which is indicated with the polka music and the gunshot noise everytime she is talking about the boy. He tells us that Blanche grew up in an upper class family in Laurel and also that her sister had left home in summer after her father died.
ReplyDelete5. the Dubois and Kowalski are two very different families, the Dubois are more of people pleasers and they are always polite and think before talking and saying something so that the person who it is intended to doesn’t feel bad, but on the other hand Kowalski’s are people who are very straight forward and wont care if its hurts you, they want the truth and will always speak the truth even if it tends to hurt the other person, he has a very primitive and raw feeling to him whereas Blanche has a very refined and poised feeling about her.
6.Belle Reve is the ancestral house of Blanche and Stella’s in which they had grown up and the name mean Beautiful dream and thus it also explains why both Blanche and Stella was sad when they got to know that they lost Belle Reve because as the name suggests they had a lot of happy memories attached to the house and thus it is also a part of both their past and character.
Scene one:
ReplyDelete1. Desire is eagerness to possess. Blanche has desire to be loved, to look young and to meet somebody who could really love her (like Mitch) so that she would forget about her ex-husband. However, the desire to look good to every men she encounters, and thinking that having sexual love can feel up her emptiness leads her to destruction equals to death(cemeteries). Blanche coming to Stella’s place, “Elysian Fields” was the last chance given her to fulfill the desire, because in Elysian Fields, nobody knew about her. (Elysian Fields is known to be place where one’s soul could rest after physical death of a person) She could start a new life. But at the end of the play even the hope she had in Elysian Fields is lost. Hence it’s double tragedy. First death is the death of her physical body because she was rejected by people in her town and second death is the death of her mentality when Stella sends her to mental hospital.
2. Blanche and Stella belong to higher hierarchy of the society compared to Stanley. But as the play proceeds, there is a confusion in the hierarchy because with the loss of the Belle Reve, what used to define them is now gone. Further, with Stanley having higher position in the house there is a conflict created between Blanche wishing to maintain her high social position, with Stanley who looks down upon it. The conflict between these two characters contributes to the rape, which proves Stanley to be in higher position. The reference of the social hierarchy is significant because in Elysian Fields, it is insignificant, like Stella said “Don’t you think your superior attitude is a bit out of place?”
3. Blanche is resentful towards Stella because Stella is not living up to the standard Blanche expected her to be. Blanche came to Stella’s house thinking that she would be leading a genteel life with manners and literature and music, but what she finds out is complete opposite. She also emphasizes that Stanley is “like an animal” and “common”. Stella responds saying “I have told you I love him”.
4. Blanche’s failed love, with the death of her ex-husband and her continual sex relations with others. She goes to the stage where she has a relation with one of her student.
5. Blanche and Stella are from Southern part of America. They were brought up in a mansion, they were taught of proper manners and etiquettes; all that were considered genteel and proper. Stanley Kowalski is not native from the land; he is an immigrant from Poland. He is straight forward, and animalistic because what he does all his life is to satisfy his physical desires.
6. “Belle Reve” is the place that Blanche and Stella were born and brought up. It also means “beautiful dream”. Blanche is made to look back at the past constantly admiring how beautiful her life was in Belle Reve, and regretting her life at present. Loss of Belle Reve signifies not only their property that is lost but also beautiful dream of Blanche’s that will never come back again. With the loss of Belle Reve and Blanche’s beautiful dream, a tragic end is foreboded.
Scene two
ReplyDelete1. Her bathing signifies washing away her past. It could also mean cleansing her physical and mental state that was defiled through sexual relations with so many people.
2. “In the state of Louisiana we have the Napoleonic code according to which what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband and vice versa.” (Act 1, sc i) according to Stanley (although actual Napoleonic code is the civil code of France, promulgated between 1804 and 1810 under Napoleon I.) Stanley believes that if Stella had a share in Belle Reve, it belongs to him as well. And the fact that it was lost, makes him feel that his property is gone. It shows Stanley is possessive of not only Stella but her property as well. Like most of fierce male animals do, he has to possess everything that belongs to her.
3. It shows he is gregarious. He knows someone from merchandise, from jewelry store and a lawyer who, according to him, would be willing to do a small favour for him. It also shows that Stanley is suspecting Blanche would be hiding something. To get some information out of her, he threatens her with these statements. He things Blanche is lying to him. He is indirectly telling Blanche that she cannot distort any truth from him. It’s method of showing her superiority.
4. His princess charming must be Stella. Examining Stella’s character, he finds someone who is explicit in expressing their love. According to what he says, he does not only look at the body “I once went out with a doll who said to me “I am the glamorous type, I am the glamorous type!” I said, “So what?”” (Act1, scii).
5. Everyone, the members of the household started to pass away. “All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way!”. Money has to be spent for their funeral, and various taxes like death duty and inheritance text (contemporary allusion). “Death is expensive, Miss Stella!”, “Grim Reaper had put up his tent on our doorstep!.. Stella. Belle Reve was his headquarters!”.(Act 1, sci)
1.As the play starts,we are introduced to the three symbols desire,cemetries and Elysian Fields.Desire, symbolizes Blanches, desire to be loved after the death of her ex-husband-Allan, look young and to get compliments and also is desperate for blissful companionship(like Mitch) .On contrary,this promiscuos lifestyle of Blanche got her into trouble which refers to cemeteries -a direct symbol to death.(She was banned from Auriol for having a sexual relation with her student).
ReplyDeleteThe last symbol Elysian Fields is a mythological allusion in Roman mythology.It is the street where Stella and Stanley live.This refers to next step in Blanche`s life as no one in the new place know about her past and thus she can start over with a new beginning of her life,which ironically gives her sorrow and leads to her destrcution.(an opposite effect of her companionship).
2.Stella and Blanche are from an upper class upbringing, unlike Stanley who belonged to a lower class of the society.Stella seemed to be well-adapted to the lower class after marrying Stanley and Blanche still has her upper-class behaviour and cannot tolerate Stanley`s lower class behaviour who displays a brutal and animalistic characteristics.Hence two social hierachies are established in the play.
3.Blanche shows resentment towards Stella for leaving Belle Reve and living in New Orleans while Blanche stayed in Auriol and beared the loss of her family and house,thus experiencing it all alone.Blanche also believes Stella as reason for the loss of Belle Reve,however Stella reacts to it feebly and ends up crying in the bathroom.
4.Williams doesn`t explicitly reveal everything about Blanche`s past,but we can conclude certain things.Tennesee reveals that Blanche is a widow and was a high-school English teacher and is from a high-class upbringing.Blanche`s sister Stella left Belle Reve when their father died.Her financial state is also not good and Blanche faced numerous difficulties in losing Belle Reve.
5.The Dubois world and Kowalski world are two different ends.The Dubois world stresses on social stature, and considered to be refined and plesant.Outer apperances are given more importance than realities.Whereas,on the other hand,the Kowalski world gives importance to realites of a person and is considered to be open about their feelings and thoughts and coarse in nature(like Stanley),unlike Blanche Dubois who maintains a genteel social profile.
6.Belle Reve is Stella`s and Blanche`s ancestral home in Laurel.It also means "a beautiful dream" in French.On a closer look it not only shows the beauty of the house but also refers to Blanche`s past she`s and also her dream that she may not actually experience.The word is also grammaticaly wrong which suggests a flaw in her beautiful dream(the blissful dream regarding past) and everything is not what appears to be.
Scene Three
ReplyDelete1. Mitch is more genteel and less animalistic compared to other men at the poker game. Unlike other men who only think about enjoying themselves by playing and drinking, Mitch says “I’m out again. I oughta go home pretty soon.. I gotta sick mother. She don’t go to sleep until I come in at night”. He cares for his mother who is sick and would be waiting for him and he is willing to let go a poker game for her. Like Blanche notices, he has “sort of sensitive look” and “superior than the others” in terms of manners and language.
2. She throws statement of the situation surrounding them, asks for a cigarette, and continues conversation about trivialities including her name, profession.. etc. She does not give a chance for an awkward pause and keeps conversation going.
3. She has the set of rules for ideal beauty; slim body, pretty face, young look…etc. To make sure a man falls in love with her, she wants to look young. She does not want her age to be discovered. She does not want men to notice her wrinkles. It’s also a symbol of her inability to face reality. There has to be a cover, a cover of illusion which distorts the reality.
4. This would have happened. The violent scene happened due to animalistic nature of Stanley (and partially Stella), and nothing to do with Blanche. Stanley was drunk, and he was getting mad that loud radio was disturbing their game. When Stella shouted at Stanley and stops the game, he loses his temper. The anger is not triggered by Blanche what so ever. But she could be held responsible for keep turning on the radio. Stella wouldn’t have keep on turning the radio on if Stanley did not like it. Hence, the major responsibility falls on Stanley, and violent scene would have happened if there was anyone else visiting the place and accidently angered him. But Blanche cannot be exempted from her part she played (by unnecessarily arousing him to anger).
5. Physical relation is the basis for Stella and Stanley. After their violent fight, they reconcile by physically getting engaged. They do not need words and formalities to explain how sorry they are. Being together and hugging speak more than words for them. This is the how they communicate and express themselves.
Scene 2
ReplyDelete1. There is a symbolism associated with Blanche`s bathing and she take hours bathing.It expresses Blanche`s attempts to wash away her past and shed her sexual relations she had in her past with other men.She felt like "a brand new human being" after bathing.
2.In New Orleans,according to the Napoleonic Code, a husband has a right over his wife`s property and vice-versa.Stanleyis concerned about it because he believes that he also possesses a roght over Stella`s share in Belle Reve and that he has been cheated regarding the property matters.His animal-like image is established when he brutally pulls out clothes from Blanche`s trunk and rudely asks the papers of Belle Reve from Blanche.He also doesn`t go out when Blanche comes out from bathe.Such wild instincts has shown that Stanley possesses a wild-type nature and lacks civilized mannerisms.
3.Stanley feels, Blanche has swindled Stella regarding the loss of Belle Reve.He is ignorant about feminine things like clothe`s and jewellery and does not want to be manipulated by his ignorance,so he pretends to have acquaintances in all the fields so that he cannot be cheated by anyone.This shows that he has a social circle and he can seek his friends`s help to overcome his ignorance.
4.Stanley likes women who are straightforward and honest.(who "lay their cards on the table")He does not compliment Blanche`s beauty and dressing style,when asks him.Scence 2 also clearly shows that he`s a person who is not easily taken by the Hollywood glamour.
5.Belle Reve was lost on mortgage and death duty.Due to the numerous deaths in the Dubois family, Blanche had to give Belle Reve in order to pay the debts and to organise expensive funeral ceremonies according to their upper-class social profile and stature.The dead people also didn`t leave any inheritances and she had to pay the expenses from her limited monthly salary.
Answer 1
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans. Literally, Blanche had to take a streetcar named desire and another called Cemeteries to get to Elysian Fields where Stanley and Stella’s apartment building is located. Which symbolically means that blanche came to New Orleans through desire as she had gone into pedophilia and prostitution after her husband’s death. And the cemeteries refer to the deaths of many people in her family that led to her family losing on the mortgage on their estate. Lastly the Elysian Fields demonstrates the way New Orleans has historically differed from other American cities in the south. Elysian Fields are the name for the ancient Greek version of the afterlife.
Answer 2
Social class issues are clearly illustrated in the first scene throughout. Firstly when Blanche arrives first at New Orleans she is shocked to see the house of her sister. As blanche comes form a wealthy background, her expensive cloths and jewelry seem to be not matching with Stella’s poorhouse. Although both Stella and blanche are from the same household they both have different life styles, which they have adapted to. Blanche is also seen commenting on Stanley often who isn’t an American and also hasn’t studied well.
Answer 3
Blanche is resentful towards Stella because she thinks that she did not share her problems and sorrows when she was having a very bad time back at belle reve. Blanche constantly reminds this to Stella whole of the first act. Stella reacts to it by saying that she went away from there to make her own living and that she did not do is on purpose to make blanches’ life difficult. When Stella gets to know what all difficulties blanche has gone through she forces Stanley not to talk about belle reve to blanche.
Answer 4
Blanche's dress hides her inner sins and contributes to her moth like appearance. Her actions also suggest the fluttering of a delicate moth. And as a moth is often attracted by light and consequently killed by the heat, later we will see that Blanche is afraid of the light and when Mitch forces her under the light, this act begins Blanche's destruction.
All these are clues to Blanche’s future which will be reveled slowly in further acts.
Answer 5
The name of the Kowalski’s’ street underscores the extreme, opposing archetypes that Stanley and Blanche represent. Blanche represents a society that has become too detached from its animal element. She is distinctly over civilized and has repressed her vitality and her sexuality. Blanche’s health and her sanity are waning as a result. Where as the DuBois’s seem to represent a society, which is much different. They are probably calm and functioned. We can make this out easily from the behaviors of Stella and blanche. Stella is a quiet calm and a composed person who is also very well mannered unlike Stanley.
Answer 6
Belle Reve is Blanche’s family home, which is located in Mississippi. It represents the “beautiful dream” that blanche seeks but never experiences.
Scene 2
ReplyDeleteAnswer 1
Blanche is always seen bathing in the play for long hours. Blanche is seen bathing her self in light of her efforts to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans. Her baths basically represent her efforts to cleanse her self from the odious history. Repetition of the “Napoleonic code” shows us a side of Stanley that is greedy and suspicious of Blanche because he does not want to be “swindled” out of his share of the money.
Answer 2
The Napoleonic code says that all the property assets the wife owns, the husband has right on it and vise-versa. Which means in the play, Stanley says this because he thinks that he also had equal right on belle reve and he conspired that Blanche has not done equal justice in dividing the property. He also suspects that Blanche’s business dealings are somewhat dishonest, doesn’t not trust her and he also dislikes her.
Answer 3
The constant repetition of words Stanley says “ I have an acquaintance who….” Gives us a lot of insight about Stanley’s character. Firstly when he is talking about all this he is referring to belle reve. He is very concerned about what blanche has done to belle reve. So thus he keeps saying “ I have acquaintance to….” Not that he is a man who has many contacts but just in order to keep him not ridiculed. He wants to portray him self as a man who many contacts and resources so that he is not outmaneuvered by Blanche.
Answer 4
In this scene when first Blanche and Stanley meet, we notice that he seems to be attracted towards her. This can be scene in various scenes. He firstly removes his shirt infront of her without ease and also when Blanche asks her to button her dress. In this scene we see that both Stanley and Blanche are physically attracted to eachother. So we can make out that Stanley finds women attractive when they tend to flirt with him or behave with him in a physical manner.
Answer 5
Belle Reve is an old plantation house and the family home where Stella and Blanche grew up. Blanche lost the house because of its high mortgage after Stella left for New Orleans. The loss of Belle Reve is the catalyst for Stanley to suspect Blanche is telling lies.
Scene 3
ReplyDeleteAnswer 1
The game of poker reflects the lively atmosphere of Elysian Fields: the colors of the shirts, the lurid light over the table, the greasy food and beer all help create a scene seething with life. Mitch seemed to be very different from other men at the poker game. He was the one who was constantly shouting poker shouldn’t be played with women at home. Seeing this we could easily say that Mitch was a kind of man who respected women unlike Stanley and his other friends at the poker game. Mitch also looked more sensitive than Stanley.
Answer 2
We see blanche flirts not only with anyone person but a many men in the play. First she is seen flirting with Stanley. Then the paperboy and then finally Mitch. If we observe there is a certain way she talks when she wants to flirt with men. It’s probably the only way she’s even known how to socialize with men. She relies on being flirtatious on her dated version of being lady like as it is how she grew up in her old southern upbringing. While flirting she realized that she still can charm and is good looking. She also flirts with the paperboy because she needs to be with someone she doesn’t like to be alone, as she wants a relationship.
Answer 3
We see that Blanche avoids light in this scene with Mitch. This is probably because she doesn’t want Mitch to see her under naked light as she feels that her flaws might be seen. We see Blanche as a person who lies a lot and also tries to hide many things (age) in order to look more feminine in front of men.
Answer 4
I think the scene between Stanley and Stella would occur even though blanche did not arrive. I think the arrival of blanche that day would have not made any difference if she had arrived or not. This is firstly due to many reasons. We also learn through Mitch that this is not the first time this has happened and all the people around the apartment are used to it. He maybe tries to hit Stella only to enforce is control over her and show his dominance towards her.
(1) Blanche’s excessive bathing is symbolic of her futile attempts to wash away her past. In order to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans, she bathes frequently to cleanse herself of her history. Also, Blanche’s name means “white” in French. Thus, when Williams wrote the character, he must have included the symbolism of Blanche’s bathing to imply that, while she started out pure, she has become dirty and needs to re-establish her purity. Yet, just as she cannot erase her past, she can never complete her bathing ritual which results in her repetition of the same action without positive results.
ReplyDelete(2)The Napoleonic Code is a code of law recognized in New Orleans from the days of the French rule that places women’s property in the hands of their husbands. Although Stella attempts to explain Blanche’s great ordeal of losing Belle Reve, Stanley is more interested in the bill of sale from Belle Reve. Furthermore, he believes that Blanche has swindled Stella out of her rightful share of the estate, which means that he has been swindled as well. By referring to the Napoleonic Code, Stanley justifies his feelings of entitlement to Stella’s inheritance. His repeated references to the code highlight the fact that his argument with Blanche is a gender conflict, thus revealing Stanley’s inherent greed and misogynistic tendencies. Hence, through Stanley’s association with the Napoleonic Code, Williams has managed to reinforce Stanley’s animalistic nature.
(3)While the Napoleonic Code only applies to property in New Orleans, Stanley displays a certain amount of ignorance by revealing his unfamiliarity with the Code, mistakenly applying the Napoleonic Code to Belle Reve, an estate in Mississippi. Yet, it is obvious that he does not want to be manipulated by this ignorance; thus, his reference to “an acquaintance” is primarily an attempt to show that someone else can verify the truth. Thus, through this, he hopes to deter people from taking advantage of his ignorance.
from Rashmika:
ReplyDeleteSCENE ONE
1. Explain the symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans: “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!”
2. What social hierarchy is established in this scene? Why is this in the play?
3. Why is Blanche resentful toward Stella? Explain. How does Stella react to this?
4. What details does Williams provide on the particulars of Blanche’s past?
5. Parallel the Dubois world as opposed to the Kowalski world.
6. What is Belle Reve? What does the name symbolize?
ANSWERS:
Answer 1
There is a lot of symbolic importance of the instructions Blanche followed to arrive at Stella’s home in New Orleans. Literally, Blanche had to take a streetcar named desire and another called Cemeteries to get to Elysian Fields where Stanley and Stella’s apartment building is located. Which symbolically means that blanche came to New Orleans through desire as she had gone into pedophilia and prostitution after her husband’s death. And the cemeteries refer to the deaths of many people in her family that led to her family losing on the mortgage on their estate. Lastly the Elysian Fields demonstrates the way New Orleans has historically differed from other American cities in the south. Elysian Fields are the name for the ancient Greek version of the afterlife.
Answer 2
Social class issues are clearly illustrated in the first scene throughout. Firstly when Blanche arrives first at New Orleans she is shocked to see the house of her sister. As blanche comes form a wealthy background, her expensive cloths and jewelry seem to be not matching with Stella’s poorhouse. Although both Stella and blanche are from the same household they both have different life styles, which they have adapted to. Blanche is also seen commenting on Stanley often who isn’t an American and also hasn’t studied well.
Answer 3
Blanche is resentful towards Stella because she thinks that she did not share her problems and sorrows when she was having a very bad time back at belle reve. Blanche constantly reminds this to Stella whole of the first act. Stella reacts to it by saying that she went away from there to make her own living and that she did not do is on purpose to make blanches’ life difficult. When Stella gets to know what all difficulties blanche has gone through she forces Stanley not to talk about belle reve to blanche.
Answer 4
Blanche's dress hides her inner sins and contributes to her moth like appearance. Her actions also suggest the fluttering of a delicate moth. And as a moth is often attracted by light and consequently killed by the heat, later we will see that Blanche is afraid of the light and when Mitch forces her under the light, this act begins Blanche's destruction.
All these are clues to Blanche’s future which will be reveled slowly in further acts.
Answer 5
The name of the Kowalski’s’ street underscores the extreme, opposing archetypes that Stanley and Blanche represent. Blanche represents a society that has become too detached from its animal element. She is distinctly over civilized and has repressed her vitality and her sexuality. Blanche’s health and her sanity are waning as a result. Where as the DuBois’s seem to represent a society, which is much different. They are probably calm and functioned. We can make this out easily from the behaviors of Stella and blanche. Stella is a quiet calm and a composed person who is also very well mannered unlike Stanley.
Answer 6
Belle Reve is Blanche’s family home, which is located in Mississippi. It represents the “beautiful dream” that blanche seeks but never experiences.
from Rashmika:
ReplyDeleteSCENE TWO
1. Explain the symbolism involved in the action of Blanche’s bathing.
2. What is the Napoleonic code and why is Stanley so concerned about it? How does this reinforce the animal-like image of Stanley that Williams is attempting to establish?
3. Three times in this scene Stanley says, “I have an acquaintance who…” (just happens to work in the very field they are discussing at that time). What insight is given into the character of Stanley from these lines?
4. What kind of woman does Stanley find attractive?
5. How was Belle Reve truly lost?
Answer 1
Blanche is always seen bathing in the play for long hours. Blanche is seen bathing her self in light of her efforts to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans. Her baths basically represent her efforts to cleanse her self from the odious history.Repetition of the “Napoleonic code” shows us a side of Stanley that is greedy and suspicious of Blanche because he does not want to be “swindled” out of his share of the money.
Answer 2
The Napoleonic code says that all the property assets the wife owns, the husband has right on it and vise-versa. Which means in the play, Stanley says this because he thinks that he also had equal right on belle reve and he conspired that Blanche has not done equal justice in dividing the property. He also suspects that Blanche’s business dealings are somewhat dishonest, doesn’t not trust her and he also dislikes her.
Answer 3
The constant repetition of words Stanley says “ I have an acquaintance who….” Gives us a lot of insight about Stanley’s character. Firstly when he is talking about all this he is referring to belle reve. He is very concerned about what blanche has done to belle reve. So thus he keeps saying “ I have acquaintance to….” Not that he is a man who has many contacts but just in order to keep him not ridiculed. He wants to portray him self as a man who many contacts and resources so that he is not outmaneuvered by Blanche.
Answer 4
In this scene when first Blanche and Stanley meet, we notice that he seems to be attracted towards her. This can be scene in various scenes. He firstly removes his shirt infront of her without ease and also when Blanche asks her to button her dress. In this scene we see that both Stanley and Blanche are physically attracted to eachother. So we can make out that Stanley finds women attractive when they tend to flirt with him or behave with him in a physical manner.
Answer 5
Belle Reve is an old plantation house and the family home where Stella and Blanche grew up. Blanche lost the house because of its high mortgage after Stella left for New Orleans. The loss of Belle Reve is the catalyst for Stanley to suspect Blanche is telling lies.
from rashmika:
ReplyDeleteSCENE THREE
1. How is Mitch different from the other men at the poker game?
2. What seems to be Blanche’s routine of flirtation? What does it suggest about Blanche that she has this routine completely memorized?
3. Why is it so necessary to Blanche that the light be covered with a paper lantern?
4. In your opinion, do you think this violent scene between Stella and Stanley would have occurred if Blanche were not visiting? Explain.
5. What is the basis of Stella and Stanley’s relationship? How do we know this?
Answer 1
The game of poker reflects the lively atmosphere of Elysian Fields: the colors of the shirts, the lurid light over the table, the greasy food and beer all help create a scene seething with life. Mitch seemed to be very different from other men at the poker game. He was the one who was constantly shouting poker shouldn’t be played with women at home. Seeing this we could easily say that Mitch was a kind of man who respected women unlike Stanley and his other friends at the poker game. Mitch also looked more sensitive than Stanley.
Answer 2
We see blanche flirts not only with anyone person but a many men in the play. First she is seen flirting with Stanley. Then the paperboy and then finally Mitch. If we observe there is a certain way she talks when she wants to flirt with men. It’s probably the only way she’s even known how to socialize with men. She relies on being flirtatious on her dated version of being lady like as it is how she grew up in her old southern upbringing. While flirting she realized that she still can charm and is good looking. She also flirts with the paperboy because she needs to be with someone she doesn’t like to be alone, as she wants a relationship.
Answer 3
We see that Blanche avoids light in this scene with Mitch. This is probably because she doesn’t want Mitch to see her under naked light as she feels that her flaws might be seen. We see Blanche as a person who lies a lot and also tries to hide many things (age) in order to look more feminine in front of men.
Answer 4
I think the scene between Stanley and Stella would occur even though blanche did not arrive. I think the arrival of blanche that day would have not made any difference if she had arrived or not. This is firstly due to many reasons. We also learn through Mitch that this is not the first time this has happened and all the people around the apartment are used to it. He maybe tries to hit Stella only to enforce is control over her and show his dominance towards her.
Answer 5
I think Stanley’s and stella’s relationship clearly on the basis of physical attraction.
Scene 7 question 2.
ReplyDeleteBlanche is an idealist and often cannot bear to face reality. She lives in a world full of "make-believes". Deep inside she knows that her world is fantastical, yet her idealistic nature is stronger than her realistic side. She hopes these fantasies will be real someday.
In the previous scene, she told Mitch about her late husband Allan. This revelation brought them closer as they realized they were both looking for love and comfort. Hence at the beginning of this scene, Blanche is hopeful that Mitch will "believe in her" and that some parts of her "make-believe world" become tangible.
This song is poignant because this child-like hope makes it difficult for the audience to reprimand her inability to face reality. It just incites a sense of pity.