DESIRE AND DEATH Flashcards
“Her appearance is incongruous to this setting.”
SCENE 1: STAGE DIRECTION.
Blanche is fated to be an outsider, a catalyst for her metaphorical and social death
“The loss- the loss…”
SCENE 2: EQUIVOCATION.
Infers Belle Reve, also infers Alan’s death
Liebstod
‘desire’ and ‘death’ - Blanche’s spiritual death. Freudian understanding of death drive and sex drive
“Please don’t get up, I’m only passing through.”
SCENE 11: IRONY
Blanche mourns Southern Belle Formalities, the men do not respect her - they are afraid
“People don’t see you - men don’t - don’t even admit your existence unless they are making love to you.”
SCENE 5: FORESHADOWING
Foreshadows how Stanley ignores her at the end of the novel after raping her - thematic. For Blanche, sex-work is her lifeline.
“I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers.”
SCENE 11: PAST TENSE, IRONY
Sex work = Kindness? She’s deluded. ‘relied’ infers she hasn’t whilst at Elysian Fields
“Turn the Trick”
“I-I’m fading now!”
SCENE 5: EQUIVOCATION, FRAGMENTED SPEECH, EXCLAMATIVE
Turn the trick = Being paid for sex work, also meaning pull off the illusion
Fragmented speech shows Blanche’s spiritual death, mental decay
“This game is seven-card stud.”
SCENE 11: MOTIF
Trivializes the whole ordeal, means last bet - Blanche is over
Nina Leibman on Stella
STELLAS SEXUALITY IS APPROVED
“She’s not the lustful instigator but the passive respondant,” 1987
“Stanley’s fingers finding the buttons of her blouse”
SCENE 11: THEMATIC
Conflict is not solved by desire, only forgotten. Weaponizes his sexuality
“Gives a loud whack of his hand on her thigh”
SCENE 3: ONOMATEOPOEIC
Stanley soon afterwards charges after her - animalistic
“Crumpled white satin gown”
“Brilliant silk pyjamas”
SCENE 10: COSTUMES
Blanche no longer wearing the red silk gown she did Scene 9 with Mitch - infers her corrupted purity at the hands of men like Stanley
Wedding night pyjamas infers sex
“Lurid reflections, “Red-letter night”
“Wild, jungle-sounding cries”
SCENE 10: EXPRESSIONALISTIC,
Masculine exploitation catalyzes submission
“Tiger,” “Ape-like,” “Inert body.”
SCENE 4/11: ANIMAL IMAGERY
Blanche’s submission from constant gender clashing
ELYSIAN FIELDS ‘STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE’ ‘STREETCAR NAMED CEMETARIES’ to Elysian Fields
Structural mirroring, Varisouviana - motif of insanity Blanche covering her ears when the train is heard scene 4
