General Revision Flashcards
Why does Stanley hate Blanche?
she tried to make Stella leave him
- she is snobby and looks down on him
- he overheard her insulting him
- his physical relationship with Stella has suffered because Blanche is living in their tiny flat
What does Blanche lie about?
drinking
- age
- why she came to stay with Stella
- her sexual history / sexual morals
What makes us feel sympathy for Blanche?
mentally fragile and clearly afraid
- society is judgemental towards her behaviour because she is a woman
- she was very in love with her husband, who died
- the deaths at Belle Reve made her mentally fragile
- men took advantage of her mental illness to sleep with her
- Stanley attacks her
How is clothing used symbolically?
- White clothes to show how Blanche wants to be seen as pure and innocent
- red satin robe to show she is really passionate and dangerous
- soiled clothing at the end to show she is ‘ruined’
- Mitch’s work clothes in scene 9 to show he has stopped making an effort with her
- Stanley’s brightly coloured clothes to show his uncompromising personality
What are the themes?
fantasy versus reality
Desire
How does the opening scene introduce us to the theme?
Blanche’s white clothes
- Blanche lies about drinking
- Blanche wants the light turned off
- Blanche is clearly mentally ill
How could the audience have mixed feelings towards Blanche?
We can feel sympathy for her (as she is mentally ill and faces restrictions due to her gender), but we also appreciate that she has negative qualities (such as lying and being snobby)
How does the closing scene make an effective ending?
the lampshade is ripped off (symbol)
- bathing (symbol)
- Blanche does not know what is real and what is not (theme)
- Stella chooses to believe Blanche is lying (theme, foreshadowing)
- Blanche is taken to a mental asylum (theme)
What is Blanche’s fatal flaw?
She cannot face reality
How is tension created in scene 10 (the climax?)
the shadows and noises unsettle the viewer
- we know Stanley is violent and hates Blanche so we are worried for her safety when he takes her comment about “swine” the wrong way
- We can immediately see that Blanche is losing her grip on reality when we see her dressed up and talking to herself in the mirror
- Stanley forces Blanche to face reality, which she cannot cope with
- Stanley attacks Blanche
- Blanche tries to phone for help but there is no one to call, which makes us realise how vulnerable she is
What is the climax?
Scene 10 (Stanley attacks Blanche)
What is the turning point?
Scene 3 (Stanley overhears Blanche trying to get Stella to leave and making snobby comments about him, so decides to ruin her in revenge)
What is the central symbol?
lampshade
What does the lampshade symbolise?
Blanche’s inability/refusal to face reality (in the light, everything can be seen. In the darkness, things can be kept hidden. After he has broken her sanity, Stanley rips of the lampshade to show how he has mentally destroyed her by forcing her to face reality)
