Scene 1 - Blanche Flashcards
“A moth”
Blanche being called a “moth” suggests her fragility, not only physically but also mentally. Also determines her fate in this play as moths tend to meet an end after being drawn to light. “a moth to a flame”
“White suit”
Blanche entering the scene wearing a “white suit” ironically speaking suggests her purity and innocence.
This dress also suits her as the french name “Blanche” directly translates to “white”.
“They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks to get off at - Elysian fields!”
This quote shows all of blanches history up until this point in her life. The streetcar named “desire” suggests her promiscuous past, “Cemeteries” being the point in her life where she loses her plantation household “Belle Reve” and losing her husband, and “Elysian Fields” being her life now. “Elysian Fields” is also the greek portrayal of the afterlife, which suggests Blanches end.
“She pours half a tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down.”
Shows that Blanche has a drinking problem. This is later evident in the fact that she again looks for more drink when Stella enters.
“She tries unsuccessfully to smile back”
When Stanley makes a joke, Blanche tries her hardest to look entertained, yet because of her career as an English teacher she is not able to successfully push herself to find something so immature funny.
