Blanche Flashcards
‘Daintly dressed in white’
Emphasises her desire to appear innocent and pristine contrasting sharply with harsh reality of surroundings.
‘Delicate beauty must avoid strong light’
Signifies Blanche is fragile and vulnerable and can’t withstand exposure to reality or others seeing her reality.
‘They told me to take a streetcar to desire’
Metaphor which foreshadows her intense desire will ultimately lead to her destruction.
‘I stayed and fought for it, bled for it almost died for it’
Implies her desperate clinging to the past, desperate attempts to maintain facade despite crumbling reality.
‘I need kindness’
Highlights her reliance on others to uphold her fragile self especially when confronted with Stanley’s brutality.
‘Indifferent I am to money’
Irony as desires to construct herself as embodying aristocracy and deeming money as invaluable despite her clinging to material worth throughout the play.
‘Brutal desires- just desire the name of that rattle trap streetcar’
Metaphor for raw untamed sexual passion which drives the characters to destruction.
‘Don’t hang back with the brutes’
Irrationality of Blanche’s opinions as she hysterically cries them.
‘Have got to be seductive put on soft colours, the colours of butterfly wings and glow’ Analysis
Motif of colour and light which Blanche tries to cloak herself in.
Contrast of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ Analysis
Alludes to William’s portrayal of gender and sensitivity
‘Temporary magic’ Analysis
Indicates Blanche lack’s self sufficiency and has to gain approval from other men in her life.
‘I’m fading now’ Analysis
As she grows older unable to use her looks to compel men, loosing her purpose.
‘Right on my pretty white skirt’ Analysis
Metaphor demonstrates terror of impurity especially in context to her past.
‘I want to kiss you just once softly and sweetly on your mouth’ Analysis
Cannot convalesce from the obsession of desire.
Rejects brutal physicality of sister’s relationship but aches from loneliness.
‘A girl alone in the world has to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she’ll be lost’ Analysis
Blanche paints a picture of innocence and caution due to her belief facade is important because of her old fashioned ideals.
