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.
‘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.
‘I guess it is just that I have old fashioned ideals she rolls her eyes’ Analysis
Tired of depicting them.
A virtuality is her true self.
‘Like you suddenly turned a blinding light’ Analysis
Metaphor illustrates she was unable to see his sexuality as blinded by love.
‘Perhaps in some perverse way he’ Analysis
Reflects assumption Stanley is attracted to her which she is repulsed by.
‘I think Blanche didn’t just love him but worshipped the ground he walked on’ Analysis
Unhealthy obsession shows how she attaches himself to men.
‘A hot bath always gives me a new outlook of life’ Analysis
Motif of a bath shows functionality as a cleaning ritual.
‘Is singing in the bathroom a saccharine ballad’ Analysis
Dramatic and situational irony as sings love under illusions but her illusions have been shattered.
‘Nobody was as tender and trusting as she was’ Analysis
Insight into Blanche’s innocence and naivety.
Victim of patriarchy and norms.
S1-‘Her appearance is incongruous to the setting’ Analysis
Visual contrast of Blanche and the industrial browns of the 1950s illustrates her displacement.
S5- ‘Blanche is seated in the bedroom fanning herself with a palm leaf.’ Analysis
idiosyncratic necessity to illustrate a façade of luxury
S6-‘We are going to pretend we are sitting in a little artists’ café in Paris!” She lights a candle stud and puts it in a bottle’ Analysis
Contrast between extravagant luxury with futile action is another example of how she pretends.
‘The portieres are open and the table is set for a birthday supper with cake and flowers.’ Analysis
Stella’s hopeless attempt to try and cover up the atmosphere as one which is happy and functioning.
‘Clutching the broken top’ Analysis
Layered imagery woman last weapon of offence is a phallic object whilst Stanley uses phallus sex.
‘The varsouviana is filtered into weird distortion accompanied by cries and noises of jungle’ Analysis
Polka and primitive trauma underwent through Stanley amalgamated in her mind to create a state of instability and chaos.
