A Streetcar named Desire Scene 1 Flashcards
Where does the play begin?
‘The exterior of a two storey corner building on a street in New Orleans’
What are Elysian fields?
Final resting place for souls of the heroic and virtuous
How is it suggested this area is different from other poor areas of New Orleans?
‘The section is poor but unlike corresponding sections in other American cities, it has a raffish charm’
Where is this area?
‘Between the L&N tracks and the river’
What is the river symbolic of?
Lack of control. Takes things away and brings them back
How are the houses described to give a tainted look?
‘The houses are mostly white frame, weathered grey with rickety outside stairs and galleries and quaintly ornamented gables’
How does Williams create a biblical sense and tainted effect?
‘Faded white stairs ascend’
What time of day is it?
‘First dark of an evening early in May’
How is the building described generally?
‘Dim white’
How is the daylight described?
‘A peculiarly tender blue, almost turquoise, which invests the scene with a kind of lyricism and gracefully attenuates the atmosphere of decay’
How does Williams describe the river?
‘You can almost feel the warm breath of the brown river’
What does a brown river suggest?
Pollution
How does he suggest New Orleans are full of music?
‘A corresponding air is evoked by the music of Negro entertainers at a bar room around the corner’
How else does Williams suggest music is everywhere?
‘You are practically always just around the corner, or a fee doors down the street, from a tinny piano’
How are the tinny pianos being played?
‘With the infatuated fluency of brown fingers’
How is the blue piano described?
‘This ‘blue piano’ expresses the spirit of life which goes on here’
How does Williams create a contrast between characters?
‘Two women, one white and one coloured’
How is one of the women shown to be insignificant?
‘The white woman is Eunice who occupies the upstairs flat; the coloured woman a neighbour’
How is there a sense of community?
‘There is a relatively warm and easy intermingling of races in the old part of the town’
How does the stage direction describe the black woman?
‘To negro woman and Eunice’
How are the two men described?
‘Roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes’
What is Stanley carrying?
‘His bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher’s?’
What is the first term of endearment Stanley calls Stella?
‘Baby’
What immediately suggests Stanley is very alpha male?
‘Bellowing’
What is the first impression of Stella? And what suggests she might have more class?
‘A gentle young woman, about twenty five and of a background obviously quite different from her husband’s’
How does Stella initially try to show authority over Stanley?
‘Don’t holler at me like that’
When does Stanley use monosyllabic words?
‘Catch’
‘Meat’
How is it suggested that Mitch is not significant and Stella is not important right now?
‘Her husband and his companion have already started back around the corner’
How does Stella ask about what Stanley is doing and if she can join?
‘Stanley! Where are you going?’
‘Can I come watch?’
How is the black woman described?
‘The coloured woman’
How do we know the area is quite poor?
‘Tell Steve to get him a poor boy’s sandwich cause nothing’s left here’
What is Blanche doing at first?
‘Looks at a slip of paper, then at the building, then again at the slip and again at the building’
How does Blanche feel about this area?
‘Her expression is one of shocked disbelief’
How is Blanche’s appearance described?
‘Her appearance is incongruous to this setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace, earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat, looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district’
What is said about Blanche’s beauty?
‘Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light’
What is said about Blanche’s overall appearance?
‘There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes that suggests a moth’
What else shows Blanche’s disbelief at where Stella lives?
‘They mustn’t have- understood- what number I wanted…’
‘This - can this be- her home?’
What shows Eunice’s colloquial language?
‘You don’t have to look no further’
How does Blanche respond to Eunice offering to look after her things?
‘No’
How is the black Woman colloquial?
‘I’ll go tell her you come’
‘You welcome’
What happens with the lighting when Blanche enters the flat?
‘A light goes on behind the blind, turning it light blue’
‘The surrounding areas dim out as the interior is lighted’
How is the apartment described?
‘Two rooms can be seen, not too clearly defined. The one first entered is primarily a kitchen but contains a folding bed to be used by Blanche. The room beyond this is a bedroom. Off this room is a narrow door to a bathroom’
How does Eunice react to Blanche’s disgusted look?
‘Defensively, noticing Blanche’s look’
What does Blanche say in response to Eunice claiming the apartment is sweet when it’s tidy?
‘Is it?’
What does Blanche want to do to Eunice?
‘Wanting to get rid of her’
How do we know Blanche is not going to give anything away?
‘Yes’ repeated 5 times in this section
How do we see Eunice is friendly?
‘And you’re from Mississippi huh?
‘Por nada as the Mexicans say, por nada! Stella spoke of you’
‘Sure honey. Why don’t you set down?’
How does Blanche politely tell Eunice she wants to be alone?
‘If you will excuse me, I’m just about to drop’
How does Blanche offend Eunice?
‘What I meant was I’d like to be left alone’
How does Eunice react to Blanche asking to be alone?
‘Offended’
How can we tell Eunice is offended?
Interrupts Blanche uninterested in her explanation ‘I’ll drop by the bowling alley an’ hustle her up’
How do we know Blanche is insecure initially?
‘Blanche sits in a chair very stiffly’
‘Her shoulders slightly hunched and her legs pressed close together and her hands tightly clutching her purse as if she were quite cold’
What suggests Blanche has an alcohol addiction?
‘She notices something in a half-opened closet. She springs up and crosses to it and removes a whiskey bottle. She pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down.’
‘I’ve got to keep hold of myself’
What suggests Blanche is well practiced in drinking alcohol?
‘Tosses it down’
How do we know Stella is excited to see Blanche?
‘runs to the door of the downstairs flat’
‘Calling out joyfully’
