Appearance V Reality/ False Reality

Question 1

“No, ones my limit”

Answer 1

-dramatic irony as audience know she has already had one
-sets up the premise that Blanche is unreliable as she hides the truth

Question 2

“Funerals are pretty compared to death”

Answer 2

-appearance v reality
- juxtaposing almost paradoxical nature of funerals being pretty as they are not traditionally a pretty thing.

Question 3

“She’s somewhat older than I am”

Answer 3

-dramatic irony as audience know Blanche is older
-extends unreliable nature of blanches character

Question 4

“Make a little temporary magic…Shimmer and glow”

Answer 4

-notion that desire and sex is a performance and a false reality
-shimmer and glow create an ethereal atmosphere as if reality has been embellished

Question 5

“ ‘say it’s only a paper moon sailing over a cardboard sea but it wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me’ “

Answer 5

-plastic theatre: this song represents blanches desire to create a false reality for herself to escape her past

Question 6

“Blanche had a tight artificial smile on her drawn face”

Answer 6

-artificial connotes the idea she is pretending to be happy, putting on a smile

Question 7

“I don’t want realism I want magic!”

Answer 7

-magic connotes idea of falseness and blanches desire to create a false reality

Question 8

“I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley”

Answer 8

-ironically Stella must not create a false reality for herself to believe that Blanche was lying about the rape to protect her marriage

Question 9

“Rhinestone tiara”

Answer 9

-plastic theatre:Blanche wears costume jewlerry which represents her fake persona