Critical Commentary

Question 1

Nicola Onyett: Blanche, gender roles, downfall

Answer 1

‘Blanche has become a social outcast because she refuses to conform to conventional moral values’

Question 2

Galloway: class, differences between Blanche and Stanley

Answer 2

‘symbols of opposing class and differing attitudes towards sex and love’

Question 3

Curt Southern: Blanche, the old South

Answer 3

‘Blanche symbolises the Old South and its defunct social hierarchy’

Question 4

Anonymous: death, desire, Blanche’s downfall

Answer 4

‘Death and desire bring Blanche to this low point in her life’

Question 5

Anonymous: Blanche, self-destruction

Answer 5

‘There’s more to the character of Blanche than merely the role of pathetic victim’

Question 6

Louis Kronenberger: Blanche as a liar

Answer 6

Blanche ‘lies to the world because she must lie to herself’

Question 7

Fang: Blanche’s dependence on men

Answer 7

‘men are always the ones to whom she resorts’

Question 8

Anonymous: ethics in the play

Answer 8

‘There are no clear cut lines of good versus evil’

Question 9

Anonymous: Blanche’s influence on Stella

Answer 9

‘Blanche’s influence revives old prejudices and ways of thinking in Stella that threaten Stanley’

Question 10

All critical commentary about desire (4)

Answer 10

• Anonymous: ‘death and desire bring Blanche to this low point in her life’
• Nicola Onyett: ‘Blanche has become a social outcast because she refuses to conform to conventional moral values’
• Galloway: ‘Williams infuses Blanche and Stanley with symbols of opposing class and differing attitudes towards sex and love’
• Nina Leibman: Stella ‘is not the lustful instigator but the passive respondent’

Question 11

All critical commentary about fantasy and delusion (3)

Answer 11

• Louis Kronenberger: Blanche ‘lies to the world because she must lie to herself’
• Thompson: Blanche’s downfall is caused by ‘mythically elevated expectations’
• Anonymous: ‘Williams uses music, lights and dialogue to illustrate Blanche’s dependence on illusion and descent into madness’

Question 12

All critical commentary about gender (3)

Answer 12

Nicola Onyett: ‘Blanche has become a social outcast because she refuses to conform to conventional moral values’

Fang: ‘When Blanche is stuck in trouble, men are always the ones to whom she resorts.’

Nina Leibman: Stella is ‘not the lustful instigator but the passive respondent’

Question 13

All critical commentary about downfalls (3)

Answer 13

Nicola Onyett: ‘Blanche has become a social outcast because she refuses to conform to conventional moral values’

Lart: Stanley is an ‘agent of Blanche’s destruction’

Death and desire bring Blanche to this low point in her life

Question 14

Loss

Answer 14

‘Everyone loses something’ - Shirley Galloway

Question 15

Stanley, animalism

Answer 15

‘honest animal’ - Hawkins

Question 16

Stanley, blame

Answer 16

‘Stanley cannot be blamed’ - Bloom