Blanche Quotes

Question 1

What quote shows Blanche’s belief that women’s charm relies on illusion?

Answer 1

“After all, a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion.”

Question 2

What quote shows Blanche presenting herself as pure and delicate?

Answer 2

“She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice.”

Question 3

What quote highlights Blanche’s fear of being exposed or seen in a harsh light?

Answer 3

“Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light.”

Question 4

What quote shows Blanche’s desire to escape from reality?

Answer 4

“I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic!”

Question 5

What quote shows Blanche’s use of “old-fashioned ideals” to justify her actions?

Answer 5

“I guess it is just that I have – old-fashioned ideals! [She rolls her eyes, knowing he cannot see her face.]”

Question 6

What quote reflects Blanche’s denial of her lies and attempts to maintain innocence?

Answer 6

“Never inside, I didn’t lie in my heart.”

Question 7

What quote reveals Blanche’s insecurity and fear of fading beauty?

Answer 7

“It isn’t enough to be soft. You’ve got to be soft and attractive. And I – I’m fading now! I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick.”

Question 8

What quote suggests Blanche uses hot baths as a coping mechanism for her anxiety?

Answer 8

“I take hot baths for my nerves. Hydro-therapy, they call it.”

Question 9

What quote refers to Blanche’s tragic journey toward self-destruction?

Answer 9

“They told me to take a streetcar named desire, and then transfer to one called cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at- Elysian fields.”

Question 10

What quote shows Blanche’s frantic attempt to maintain her facade?

Answer 10

“Frantically Hiding the bottle in a closet crouching the mirror and dabbing her face with cologne and powder.”

Question 11

What quote symbolizes Blanche’s psychological distress and the collapse of her illusions?

Answer 11

“Stella pours the coke into the glass. It foams over and spills. Blanche gives a piercing cry.”

Question 12

What quote shows Blanche’s awareness of her fading beauty and vanity?

Answer 12

“I still have that awful vanity about my looks even now that my looks are slipping.”

Question 13

What quote highlights Blanche’s desire to escape from harsh realities by embracing darkness?

Answer 13

“I like it dark.”

Question 14

What quote reflects Blanche’s attempt to hold onto her aristocratic identity through her name?

Answer 14

“DuBois, it’s a French name, it means wood and Blanche means white.”

Question 15

What quote reveals Blanche’s recognition of the brutal nature of desire?

Answer 15

“What are you talking about? It’s desire—brutal—desire.”

Question 16

What quote shows Blanche’s contradictory nature, rejecting hypocrisy while still engaging in it?

Answer 16

“Oh, I’m not going to be hypocritical, I’m going to be honestly critical about it!”

Question 17

What quote reflects Blanche’s self-awareness of her ruin, yet still craving affection?

Answer 17

“God love you for a liar! Daylight never exposed such a total ruin!”

Question 18

What quote shows Blanche’s desire to erase evidence of her past mistakes?

Answer 18

“Now that you’ve touched them I’ll burn them!”

Question 19

What quote shows Blanche’s desperate need for kindness amid her emotional turmoil?

Answer 19

“There’s so much—so much confusion in the world… Thank you for being so kind! I need kindness now.”

Question 20

What quote reflects Blanche’s dehumanizing view of Stanley, comparing him to an animal?

Answer 20

“He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There’s even something—sub-human—something not quite to the stage of humanity yet!”

Question 21

What quote shows Blanche’s defensiveness about her “old-fashioned ideals”?

Answer 21

“I guess it is just that I have—old-fashioned ideals! [She rolls her eyes]”