Sex and violence are paired on both floors of the house. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Blanche explains that in the last few years after she began to lose Belle Reve she was too soft and was not strong enough, and there were some stories spread around about her. The instant animus between the characters is powerful and binds them together much more so than more positive emotions. Blanche explains that she is nervous because Mitch is coming for her at seven. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Then, half-dressed, he stumbles out to the street and calls for his wife again and again: STELL- LAHHHHH! Eunice warns him to stop, but his bellowing cry continues. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Whoever you areI have always depended on the kindness of strangers. ], [They stare at each other across the yellow-checked linoleum of the table. She asks Mitch to put a Chinese lantern she has bought over the naked lightbulb. A Streetcar Named Desire: Full Book Quiz Quiz: Quick Quiz - SparkNotes You'll be billed after your free trial ends. on 50-99 accounts. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Audience sympathy may establish itself in Blanches favor, but nothing about Blanche suggests that she will emerge as a heroine. The first encounter occurs at the end of Scene 1. Continue to start your free trial. Stanley says that he will have this man check it out and "clear up any mistake." If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Stella is packing Blanche's things. He says youve been lapping it up all summer like a wild-cat! This Blanche has been twisting and manipulating truths and lies for a long time, and her method seems at first like it will succeed in her new life as well. Cleans it Takes a drink Unpacks For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! And we will learn that throughout Blanche's adult life, without any agency, she has been riding two metaphorical streetcars named Desire and Cemeteries the dual themes of lust and death that will be paired constantly through the play. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Blanche, you sit down and let me pour the drinks. Scene 1: At rise, we see a two-story building in a poor, charming, diverse section of New Orleans, called Elysian Fields. In bed with your Polack!, Poetic Manner: I took the blows in my face and my body, Her appearance is incongruous to the setting, that of a summer cocktail party, She wears white, symbolizing purity, as well as her name, Blanche is compared to a moth. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Stanley comes in and is apparently irritated. Subscribe now. Mitch emerges into the bedroom from the bathroom and is sheepish and awkward upon meeting Blanche, indicating that he is attracted to her. Both also nursed their parents through lingering deaths. why is stanley home without stella? I never met a woman that didnt know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than theyve got. She has absolutely no place to go and no one to turn to or else she would not be here in these surroundings. Stella tries to explain that New Orleans is different and that the apartment is not so bad. She seeks to relive the past and longs for a young lover to replace the young husband who shot himself. You can view our. Aw. (one code per order). In this way, Stanley and Blanche are like the sun and the moon. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Stanley appears and calls for Stella, his wife, to catch a package of meat. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Stella's name means star. What happened to Belle Reve, the DuBois family home? She is distinctly overcivilized and has repressed her vitality and her sexuality. A Streetcar Named Desire Scene Ten Summary & Analysis | SparkNotes pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images, [drawing involuntarily back from his stare]. Stella and Blanche continue their sisterly chat in the bedroom while the poker game continues. Blanche kisses the Young Collector. Scene 10 - CliffsNotes Contact us Eunice and a Black woman are relaxing on the steps of the building when Stanley and his buddy Mitch show up. Tiring of Eunices questions, Blanche asks to be left alone. alcohol. Blanche sings Paper Moon in the bath offstage while, onstage, Stanley reveals to Stella Blanches hidden and sordid history. (one code per order). Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Read an in-depth analysis of Stanley Kowalski. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The neighbors laugh over the package of bloody meat an obvious sexual symbol which depicts Stanley in the same way as Blanche later describes him to Stella: He is a "survivor of the stone age! Stanleys physical presence dominates the apartment. The mix of characters and social elements around Elysian Fields demonstrates the way New Orleans has historically differed from other American cities in the South. for a group? Aren't you being a little intense about it? Since his earliest manhood, the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking, Wheres the little woman? and Catch! . Meat!, A gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her, He heaves the package at her Stanley throwing raw meat to Stella. Where did A Streetcar Named Desire first premiere? Stella is shamed and joins Blanche, who is planning to take another bath, in the bedroom. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Left alone, Blanche surreptitiously takes a drink of whiskey, and puts the bottle and tumbler away. So I just got in the habit of being quiet. Meanwhile, Blanche has been nervously moving through the apartment in anticipation of meeting Stanley. for a group? Teachers and parents! The neighborhood is poor but has a "raffish charm." Note the symbolic use of names throughout the play. Central Idea Essay: Is Blanche a Sympathetic Character? He is antagonistic toward Blanche. from your Reading List will also remove any You can view our. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Free trial is available to new customers only. Blanche asserts that the Flamingo is not the sort of place where she would be seen. Stella is perfectly happy with her lot, and doesn't take kindly to Blanche's questions. Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc. An interesting choice of comparison, as moths are drawn to light the way Blanche is desperately drawn from it. one called Cemeteries," Williams seems to be implying that desire leads to death which is then an escape to the Elysian Fields. After initially expressing her thrill at seeing her younger sister, Blanche lets slip a critical comment on the physical and social setting in which Stella lives. It is not until later that we learn Blanche had once married a young boy and had been terribly cruel to him when he most needed her. You want the lantern? $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Blanches health and her sanity are waning as a result. Ace your assignments with our guide to A Streetcar Named Desire! The setting is the exterior of a corner building on a street called Elysian Fields, which runs between the river and the train tracks in a poor section of New Orleans that has raffish [crude] charm. Faded white stairs lead up to the entrances of the shabby buildings two flats. Meat. could suggest Blanches movements and the things she seems to appreciate. (including. Sometimes it can end up there. Where could it be, I wonder? After Eunice lets Blanche into the apartment, she runs around the corner to fetch Stella. Her appearance is incongruous to this setting, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat, looking as. Although the blue piano is a part of the exterior world, it expresses the feelings occurring inside the characters. Blanche is lost; her life is falling apart and she has nowhere to go. Stella cries out that she wants to get away, and Blanche scrambles to gather clothes and take Stella upstairs to Eunices apartment. Do you mind if I make myself comfortable? you can't describe someone you're in love with! 12 of 25. After Stanleys drunken radio-hurling episode, Stella yells at him and calls him an animal thing, inciting Stanleys attack. | Stanley leaves to go bowling after refusing to kiss Stella in front of Blanche. I couldnt stand that., Its just incredible, Blanche, how well youre looking., Blanche: You hear me? Williams provides copious stage directions in his plays, and they are both functional and poetic. They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off atElysian Fields! "Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements." Scene 1 - CliffsNotes Purchasing Social and class distinctions also point to the tension between interior and exterior. Active Themes -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Read more about the realistic and empathetic tone of the play. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Historical Context Essay: Post-World War II New Orleans, Literary Context Essay: Social Realism in the Play. Summary and Analysis Scene 10. A Streetcar Named Desire Scene One Summary & Analysis - SparkNotes This is also the beginning of Stanley's plan to destroy Blanche, and she feels herself being trapped. Belle Reve is French for beautiful dream. Later that night, Stanley bellows STELL-LAHHHHH! into the night like a wounded beast calling for the return of his mate. She romanticizes the situation, envisioning herself as an ingnue in a tragic narrative. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Please wait while we process your payment. Blanche promises to leave before Stanley pitches her out, but by now she is shaking so badly that the coke foams and spills on her dress. Stella leaves the bathroom, and Blanche impulsively turns the radio back on and begins to dance, slyly engaging the clumsy Mitch and preventing his leaving to go to the bathroom. You came to New Orleans and. She lives in his house, eats his food, drinks his liquor, criticizes his life, and so forth, but she is never his. Though the protagonist Blanche Dubois of Tennessee Williams ' famous play attempts to talk her way out of an attack, a violent attack takes place. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The other men pull him off. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! SparkNotes PLUS Stella offers Blanche a drink, which she makes a show of accepting reluctantly. The loss of Belle Reve, the beautiful dream, represents the loss of Blanche and Stellas previous way of life. When Stella begins crying and goes to the bathroom, Blanche hears Stanley outside. She asks for a drink in order to restore her nerves. When Stella asks how it happened, Blanche reminds Stella how there has been a long line of deaths in the family and that she had to stay there and fight while Stella was "in bed with your Polack." Stella yells at Stanley, and he advances violently toward her. For example, discordant sounds play as the violent drama heightens. You'll also receive an email with the link. Life has got to go on. She pours a half tumbler, carefully replaces the bottle and washes out the tumbler at the. Blanche is appalled. Setting The Scene Before Reading . Stella goes into labor. Her actions also suggest the fluttering of a delicate moth. Underscored is the cramped claustrophobia that enters the apartment with Blanche, and the heightened emotions of the bunker as Blanche's hide-out extends longer and longer. Stanley yells Catch! as he tosses the package, and a moment later the Blackwoman yells Catch what! Eunice and the Black woman see something sexual, and scandalously hilarious, in Stanleys act of tossing the meat to a breathlessly delighted Stella. On the other hand, Blanches delicate manners and sense of propriety are offended by Stanleys brutish virility. He cries remorsefully and then telephones upstairs, but Eunice wont let him speak to Stella. | -Graham S. Blanche considers herself to be above her surroundings. Prior to Scene Three, the piano music that sounds throughout the play functions chiefly to create atmosphere, suggesting the plays setting in a somewhat seedy section of New Orleans. Set among the back drop of the multicultural landscape of New Orleans during the post-war period, Williams explores the boundaries between the traditional and modern lifestyles of America, predominantly represented through sisters Blanche DuBois, and Stella Kowalski. Though Stella has changed and moved into a new life, Blanche clings to her version of the past. Here then is an example of Blanche's inability to tell the truth and her desire to be something different from what she actually is. A Streetcar Named Desire literature essays are academic essays for citation. The outside world regularly penetrates the apartment, with visits from Mitch and Eunice and the occasional poker night. Note that as soon as Blanche says that she was born under the sign of the virgin, Stanley chooses this moment to ask her about the man named Shaw. However, whereas Mitchs experiences have engendered in him a strong sincerity, Blanche seeks refuge in make-believe and insincerityinsincerity that is painfully obvious in her remarks about the sincerity of dying people. The action begins with the arrival of Blanche DuBois, dressed in white, and both looking and feeling entirely out of place on this downtrodden street. She worries that Stanley wont like her, and she makes several disparaging comments about Stanleys lower-class status, focusing on his Polish background. You ought to lay off his liquor. a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries, Blanche slowly follows her into the downstairs flat. A Streetcar Named Desire Scene 1 Summary and Analysis Youve successfully purchased a group discount. A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 5 Summary & Analysis Stanleys cocky interactions with Blanche show him to be insensitivehe barely lets Blanche get a word in edgewise as he quickly assesses her beauty. He then asks Blanche some pointed questions which end with an inquiry about her earlier marriage. The play had four main characters: Stella, Stanley, Blanche, and Mitch. Her disparaging comments about the mixed social class show Blanche trying to cling to her prior social status. You're all I've got in the world, and you're not glad to see me! tennessee-williams-a-streetcar-named-desire.pdf - Google Docs He enters the apartment, sizes Blanche up, and makes small talk with her, treating her casually while she nervously tries to engage with him. After calling again to no avail, he hurls the phone to the floor. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Stanley, drunk, hollers at them to be quiet. Sounds of water can be heard running in the bathroom. The polka music is only in Blanches mindeven though the audience hears itand its appearance signifies that she is haunted by her dead husband. Both metaphorically and literally, bright light threatens to undo Blanches many deceptions. ], Will Stanley like me, or will I just be a visiting in-law. Renews March 10, 2023 Only desperation and a lack of other options has brought her to Elysian Fields, a tenement as different from its heavenly title as can be imagined by Blanche's sheltered mind. But this is not Williams prescribing the elements of what we see, but rather the overall effect "there is something about her uncertain manner that suggests a moth." Since earliest manhood the center of [Stanleys] life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence, dependently, but with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens. All the while, Stella still hasnt emerged from the bathroom. Her fear of light will be seen to be connected with the death of her first husband and her fear of being too closely examined in the cold, hard world of reality. Stage directions describe Stanley as a virulent character whose chief pleasure is women. He is collecting for the paper. Waiting for Stella to finish in the bathroom, he and Blanche talk. He hurls a package of meat up to her and says that he and Mitch are going to meet Steve at the bowling alley. Ace your assignments with our guide to A Streetcar Named Desire! He is antagonistic toward Blanche. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Stella is quite in love with her husband, however. Stella returns with excitement, and she and Blanche embrace. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% When Stella asserts that its time to stop playing for the night, Stanley refuses her request, tells her to go upstairs to Eunices, and disrespectfully slaps her on the buttocks. Removing #book# Want 100 or more? Summary and Analysis Scene 1. We find out that Stanley was born under the sign of Capricorn (the Goat) and Blanche was born under Virgo (the Virgin). Tennessee Williams and A Streetcar Named Desire Background, Read more about the unnamed Black womans role. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields are the final resting place of the heroic and virtuous. More books than SparkNotes. Young, young, young man! A Streetcar Named Desire study guide contains a biography of Tennessee Williams, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He asks Blanche some straight forward questions about herself and her plans, while removing his sweaty shirt and taking a drink. Blanche has been drinking steadily since Mitch left. Then she asks him about the rain and what he did when it rained. Therefore, her sexual promiscuity returns to her guilt feelings over her failure to help her young husband. $24.99 Has anyone ever told you that you look like a young Prince out of the Arabian Nights? Their reunion is also described in terms of animal noises. In an outburst that builds to a crescendo of hysteria, Blanche reveals that she has lost Belle Reve, the familys ancestral home. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of A Streetcar Named Desire and what it means. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Scene 1 Quotes They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off atElysian Fields! To hold front position in this rat-race you've got to believe you are lucky. Sometimes it can end up there. She has been drinking heavily. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Just as circumstance has led her to the Kowalskis' doorstep, so too did circumstance lead her to a life driven by desire and death. Stanley hollers for Stella, who comes out onto the first-floor landing and replies calmly to his tough, streetwise banter. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! He takes pride in everything that is his. Stella makes polite introductions, but the men show no interest in Blanches presence. Dressed in a fine white suit appropriate for an upper-crust social event, Blanche moves tentatively, looking and apparently feeling out of place in Stellas neighborhood. Stella is packing Blanche's things. When Stella insults Stanley, he goes into a rage and hits her. He takes off his shirt and makes a shady remark to Stella, who is in the bathroom. Blanches disapproval of Stellas lifestyle allows Blanche to reinforce her own sense of superiority. Stella arrives and they embrace happily, Blanche babbling excitedly about Stella's appearance and not giving her sister a chance to get a word in edge-wise. Blanche's first action in the play is one of confusion, ambivalence, disorientation. Blanche is in no mental condition to withstand such scrutiny, so she has fashioned a tenuous make-believe world. Thus, Stanley's rough, common, brutal questions end by hitting on the most sensitive aspect of Blanche's past life her marriage with the young boy. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Moths are drawn to artificial light and are known to flitter around. This is a first reference to Blanche's aversion to too much light. They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off atElysian Fields! He holds the power in the apartment, even though Blanche sees herself as elite. A tiara, usually signified royalty, which is how Blanche perceives herself. Continue to start your free trial. It is an early May evening, and the sky at dusk is almost turquoise. He sizes her up with a glance; she hides her eyes from him. The Question and Answer section for A Streetcar Named Desire is a great A Streetcar Named Desire [Scene 11] - Genius Then the men attempt to revive the now limp and confused Stanley, but when they try to force him into the shower to sober him up, he fights them off. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams And so it was I entered the broken world To trace the visionary company of love, its voice . MOTIFS: BATHS 1. Why, that you had to live in these conditions!, I let the place go? This is the opposite of the delicate and ethereal Blanche. She babbles away at Stella, full of chipper gossip and cardboard reminiscences. Stanley pulls the whiskey bottle out of the closet and notices that it is running low. Her effort to create a more flattering, untruthful portrait of herself for Mitch continues in upcoming scenes. on 50-99 accounts. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. for a customized plan. Aside from the use of the raw meat, he uses the bowling balls and pins, and the columns of the Belle Reve plantation home as obvious, overt phallic and sexual symbols. Where were you! This scene also illustrates Williams' fondness for the use of symbols. A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 10 Summary & Analysis Next Scene 11 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis It is still later that night. Blanche often mentions her love of poetry during the play as a sign of her cultured upbringing and sense of refinement. Blanche represents a society that has become too detached from its animal element. Instant PDF downloads. Like the woman in the song, Blanche is now a captive maid, as she has nowhere else to go except Stella and Stanleys, It allows Stanley and Stella to have a conversation about Blanche without her knowing, It symbolizes Blanches desire to cleanse herself, literally and figuratively, The rhinestone tiara could represent Blanche in many ways. I didn't mean to. Readers should be aware of these and choose their own responses. Stella finally cuts her off and leaves the room, crying. When Blanche declines to go to the bowling alley, the Black woman goes instead to tell Stella of her sisters arrival. You haven't said a word about my appearance. Stella asks if Blanche is interested in Mitch. Related Characters: Blanche DuBois (speaker) But don't you look at me, Stella, no, no, no, not till later, not till, And turn that over-light off! When she hears the Varsouviana Polka, the audience hears the polka, even though it is only playing in her mind. This leads Blanche to tell Stella that Belle Reve, the ancestral home, has been lost. She has dressed herself in a white satin gown and her rhinestone tiara. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! She then sends him away, saying that she must keep her hands off children. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% It is around 2:30 a.m. Steve, Pablo, Mitch, and Stanley are playing poker in the Kowalskis kitchen, which is bathed in a sinister green light. Dont have an account? Eunice and the Black woman find something hilariously suggestive in the meat-hurling episode, and their cackles indicate sexual innuendo. . Immediately, Blanche wonders if Stella has heard some unkind gossip about her. Want 100 or more? SparkNotes PLUS After exchanging a few harsh words with Stanley, Mitch rises from the table to go to thebathroom. Whoever you are--I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. 20% Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership.
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