quotes Flashcards
‘a streetcar named desire’
blanche travels to elysian fields on a streets car named desire. she lets desire control her and it ultimately takes her to her metaphorical death
‘Gaudy seed bearer’
thsi not only shows stanleys masculinity but also show the gaudy consumerist nature of post war modern america
Virgo is the virgin
blanche i far from being a virgin. this is a joke. irony
Haven’t you ever ridden that streetcar named desire
euphemism as sex was so taboo at the time, on stage- especially women could not talk about it
I’ve got to be good and keep my hands of young children
pedo vibes from blanche. we get hints about her past
The flamingo
euphamism for prostitie. also the name of the place blanche lived after the fall of Belle Reve
What’s in the back of that little boys mind of yours
infantilization of Stanley- talking down
Young man, young, young, young, young man!
blanches obsession with youth. shows her past
I’ll stop at 25
ironic,reminds us of blanches sensitivity around her age funny moment in the tense post argument
I want my baby
possession word- my shows status in stanly and stellas relationship
I cry in his lap like a baby
stella is dependent on stanley in this relationship. she is like a child
A different species
blanche believes that stanley is so far from the ‘boys back home’ he is a different species. animalistic imagery
A red stained packet from the butchers
man is literally ‘bringing home the bacon’ our first impression of stanley as the capable bread winning man also a symbol of violent masculinity
Survivor of the stone age
stanley is a Neanderthal
Samson!
reference to the bible story of samson and delilah- she took his strength- women can have sexual power over men
Stalks through the rooms at night in his underwear
stalking- he is a threat to blanche. very sexual image. blanche is intruding on stella and stanleys romantic relationship
Since when do you give me orders
stanley sees this as his house and is angered when stella tries to rule
“I gotta sick mother. She don’t go to sleep until I come in at night.”
different version of masculinity to stanley- mitch. this is more old south genteel
There is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out.
abuse
After all, a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion
what is the other 50%, blanche to stanley
And admire her dress and tell her she’s looking wonderful
appearance is the most important to blanche. all of her self worth is in her looks.
I have always depended on the kindness of strangers
blanchesrelience on men in particular for surviaval and approval- prostitution
Lily white fingers
white- purity
lily- purity, new beginnings and innocence
all things blanche wants to be perceived as
Obeying the laws of nature
traditional gender norms, mitch and blanche
Thats your job
feminine loads. her job is to please men. from blanche to Stella!
Temporary magic
blancheis not focused on the future but want to live in the past and create magic in the fleeting present
I don’t want realism. I want magic!
delusional blanche to mitch
Paper moon
I cant stand a naked bulb
too bright and too much truth
Only Poe! Only Mr Edgar Allen Poe!
relating the squalor of the apartment to something she is familiar with. southern literature
I pulled you down off those white columns
physical and aggressive. stanley has conquered stella like the new america has conquered the south
We are French by extraction
blanche values her european history. culture and OLD
I stayed and fought for it bled for it
violent imagery, the loss of BR physically hurt blanche
Home place
ambiguity- Belle Reve is constantly ambiguous
Blown the back off his head off
violentand blunt much like the death of AG
That must have been a long time ago
stanley has no care for the past. he is future focused. speedily moving america. american dream
Napoleonic code
stanley has a LOOSE grasp of laws but he talks it up. masculinity
Blanche and I grew up under very different circumstances than you did
class divide in their relationship
The Kowalski’s and the DuBois have different notions.
