Female Entrapment

Question 1

‘When he comes back i cry on his lap like a baby’

Answer 1

The simile shows Stella’s reliance and desire for Stanley - she is dependent on him like a child

Question 2

‘He sizes women up at a glance’

Answer 2

Foreshadowing possibly - he objectifies women - suggests maybe he has had a plan for Blanche from the very beginning

Question 3

‘Blanche is bathing’

Answer 3

Bathing is a motif throughout the play to depict Blanche’s desperation to be clean and pure

Question 4

‘There is a sound of a blow, Stella cries out’

Answer 4

Stanley is reasserting his dominance over Stella as she has threaten his position as ‘master of the house’

Question 5

‘Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women’

Answer 5

Poker is symbolic of masculinity and control - rather sexist remark as it paints women as inferior and emotional

Question 6

‘My baby dolls left me’

Answer 6

The epithet depicts how Stanley sees Stella as subservient and reliant to him

Question 7

‘Narcotized tranquillity’

Answer 7

This suggests she seems like she has been drugged - drugged on desire

Question 8

‘Stanley doesn’t give me a regular allowance he likes to pay bills himself’

Answer 8

Stanley again is taking control of Stella by making her financially reliant on him - she basically can’t afford to live without him

Question 9

‘Seductive - put on soft colours, colours of butterfly wings and glow’

Answer 9

Soft colours suggests pinks and purples which are associated with femininity - Blanche is using her sexuality and manipulating it to appease men

Question 10

‘Men don’t admit your existence unless you’re making love to them’

Answer 10

This portrays men as almost childlike - women are like toys to them that they can play with but then discard

Question 11

‘Varsouviana’

Answer 11

Becomes a motif of Blanche’s past and Allan’s death

Question 12

‘Your sister’s was one of the places called ‘Out of Bounds’

Answer 12

Blanche’s sexual manner has got her into a lot of trouble - causing her to be ostracised from society

Question 13

‘People like you abused her and forced her to change’

Answer 13

Men abusing their powers over women - Stella is protecting Blanche like an older sister would

Question 14

‘Shadows are of a grotesque and menacing form’

Answer 14

Expressionist - creating a menacing atmosphere - Blanche knows she is in danger

Question 15

‘She speaks in a horse whisper/’caught in a trap’

Answer 15

Blanche uses the phone as a mean of escapism as she is trapped in the apartment by Stanley

Question 16

‘He picks up her inert figure’

Answer 16

Blanche has given in - she knows she has no choice

Question 17

‘I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley’

Answer 17

Although Stella cares for Blanche, Stanley allows her to keep on living as he fulfils her desires and brings back money for her - he is her way into the New South

Question 18

‘This place is a trap’

Answer 18

Echoes what she said in scene 10 before the rape - trapped by a society that she is isolated from

Question 19

Divested of all the softer properties of womanhood’

Answer 19

Although she is not stereotypically feminine - she is not isolated from society but rather enforces rules of society

Question 20

‘Matron catches hold of Blanche’s arm and prevents her from flight’

Answer 20

Blanche is again being trapped and withstrained by society’s expectations

Question 21

contexts for female entrapment

Answer 21

Napoelenoic code authorised women’s property in the hands of their husbands
elysian fields - home of virtuous hero’s - Stanley’s physical visitor over blanche and psychological over Stella

Question 22

What are features of a aristolean tragedy found in the play?

Answer 22

tragedy is the consequence of deliberate human action
tragic protagonist from a high status
hamaryis
unhappy and unresolved ending
unnatural area of the protagoinst

Question 23

Blanches clothing representing entrapment

Answer 23

scene 1 - her white clothing is a proleptic irony to foreshadow her purity is far from reality
scene 10 - her crumpled white dress shows how she herself has been broken

Question 24

What does blanhces entrapment symbolise?

Answer 24

consequence of pushing back against a male dominated society
her masculine energy allows her to be treated cruelly
although at first she seems privileged her attempted uprising and failure makes the audience sympathise for her

Question 25

How is Stella trapped?

Answer 25

although she broke free from her southern belle lifestyle she is now trapped by marrying the embodiment of male domination
she passively accepts her subservience to the point she can no longer see the problem