Scene 5

Question 1

How is bird imagery used when Blanche describes how decietful she feels when writing a letter to Shep/ telling him that she is rich?

Answer 1

• “wing”, “flying visits”. “swoop to Dallas.”
• “swoop”: flighty –> unable to settle.
• Image of Blanche being like a bird in a cage (waiting to be set free by her typical gentelman caller.) Lack of acceptance of New South leading to destruction?
• Perhaps, idea of Blanche becoming more predtaory (facade being broken down.)

Question 2

Significane of “a disturbance heard upstairs” from Steve and Eunice. Effect on audience.

Answer 2

• Allows audience to live Blanche’s experience of violence between Stanley and Stella.
• Shows how commonplace violence is in New South - putting New South in bad light (especially for twenty- first century audience.)

Question 3

How does Blanche react to the row upstairs from Eunice/ Steve?

Answer 3

• Asks: “did he kill her?”
• Confusion/ fear –> not used to this kind of violence as a Southern Belle.

Question 4

What is the violence between Steve and Eunice like?

Answer 4

• “roars” between them.
• Animalisitc imagery (similar of that between Stanley and Stella but, here, Eunice is also aggressive!)
• Women not conforming to societal expectations at time (Williams exploring that woman can behave in a lot of different ways/ still be likeable.)

Question 5

How does Stanley suggest that Eunice and Steve should solve their problems?

Answer 5

• Suggests they should have a drink.
• Stella agrees that this is “more practical.”
• Cycle of violence in Elysian fields of normalised/ lack of morals (seeing Elysian fields through Blanche’s lens…)

Question 6

Siginificance of Blanche/ Stanley speaking about star-signs.

Answer 6

• Stanley doesn’t even undertsand what they are (“signs?”- he says) - lack of education.
• Blanche says that “Virgo is the virgin” (IRONY when we see the way she behaves in this scene / decieving.)
• “Virgo is the Virgin” links to when Stanley calls Blanche “sister Blanche.”
• Opening up about sexulity (very sexually frank as Thomas Coult - a critic has said.)

Question 7

What does Stanley ask Blanche about?

Answer 7

• Asks if she knows a man called “Shaw” because he saw her at “Hotel Flamingo.”
• “Flamingo”: continuation of bird imagery - flighty/ unsettled like a prostitiute!
• Bright pink (sexual connotations/ enticing nature.)
• Hotel with reputation of indecency.
• Truths about Blanche begin to unveil by Stanley. New South showing the TRUTH of Old South (although Williams liked it - he could not come out there?)

Question 8

How does Blanche respond to Stanley saying that Shaw saw her at “The Flamingo Hotel?”

Answer 8

• Very defensive/ nervous.
• “she speaks lightly but her voice has a note of fear.”
• Doesn’t want her true self to be unveiled (symbolically seen through her not wanting any light near her.)
• Wants to uphold expectations of The Old South but the destruction of it is destroying her.
• BUT YET, still managing to decieve Stanley (intelligence of Old over New.)

Question 9

After Stanley confronts Blanche, what does Blanche ask Stella.

Answer 9

• Asks Stella if she has “heard anything about (her).”
• Panicking after her secrets could be revealed.

Question 10

Significance of Eunice/ Steve coming back together after argument with “roars.”

Answer 10

• Shows their deep sexual, physical passion between one another (like that between Stanley and Stella .) Is Williams suggesting the negativity of New South? No poise, no gentille nature…

Question 11

What two aspects of desire to we see from Blanche in this scene?

Answer 11

• Sexual desire: seen through her advances to the “young man.”
• Desire for safety/ security (from Mitch.)

Question 12

How does Blanche suggest she has to act to feel recognised by men (in her monologue?)

Answer 12

• “put on soft colours/ butterfly wings.”
• Repetition of the word “soft”: needs to be the typical Southern Belle BUT she is struggling to fit in with it.
• Again, flight imagery (unable to settle / lack of stability after loss of Old South.)
• Says men:” don’t admit your existence unless making love to you.” Suggests that Blanche has slept with men for attention (contrasts the idea that she is “Virgo the Virgin.”
• “colours”: links to Flamingo Hotel (further reinstating that Blanche is a prostitute.)
• Twenty- first century audience: sympathy.

Question 13

How is the motif of light continued in Blanche’s monolgue?

Answer 13

• Says needs to put a “paper lantern over the light” (links to Mitch putting lantern over light in previous scene) in order for men to give her attention.
• Cover up her promiscuity in order for gentlemen callers to give her attention she wants.

Question 14

Why does Williams make us occassionaly have sympathy for Blanche and occassionaly not?

Answer 14

• Trying to show good/ bad aspects of death of Old South through Blanche.

Question 15

Sexual undertones in the “coke” foaming over.

Answer 15

• Symbol of ejaculation.
• The coke doesn’t stain - shows, symbolically, that Blanche’s truth of her promiscuous nature has been able to be covered. Covers up promiscuity. Old South not completely prim/ proper as people would expect.

Question 16

Significane of the “throbbing blue music” in this scene.

Answer 16

• Symbol of sexual passion/ desire from Blanche to young man and between Steve and Eunice.
• Williams conveying New Orleans as a place where people’s sexual/ primitive desires are unleashed (positives vs negatives.)

Question 17

Significance that Blanche “wants Mitch very badly.”

Answer 17

• Sexual desparation (struggling to keep to stanards of The Old South.)
• But also, in need to comfort/ security (that she hasn’t had from arguably being a prosititute - going from “leaky roof to leaky roof.”)

Question 18

Significance of young man saying the flavour of soda he had was “cherry.”

Answer 18

• Symbol of virginity/ inncoence.

Question 19

How is it clear that Blanche tries to treat young man like gentleman caller?

Answer 19

• Uses manners: says “thank you” when he lights her cigarette.
• This is all she knows about dealing with men - but, she doesn’t know how to act anymore.
• Effect of destruction of Old South.

Question 20

How does Blanche speak to the young man in an overtly sexual manner? What does this reveal about Blanche?

Answer 20

• Says: “you make my mouth water” –> raw/ sexual desire.
• Calls him a “boy” –> same term she used to describe her husband.
• Calls him “honey lamb” –> sweet/ innocent (used in sacrifice - wants him to be sacrificed for fulfillment of her desires.)
• Reveals that she craves attention, even when its inappropriate (her FATAL FLAW- Williams suggesting pleasing others will never make you succesful.)

Question 21

What is the significance of the fact no one sees Blanche’s interraction with the young man other than the audience?

Answer 21

• Shows that she is able to keep her promiscuity hidden and uphold standards as a Southern Belle (decietful nature of Blanche –> effect of breakdown of The Old South on her.)
• Similar to how only audience, no one else, sees Blanche’s drinking habits (in scene 1.)
• More revealed to audience so that they feel like they are on a journey with Blanche/ feel sympathy for her at end more than any other character could (we know all the details.)

Question 22

What does Blanche say after kissing the young man?

Answer 22

• “I’ve got to be good and keep my hands off children.”
• As a teacher, is she behaving inappropriately with children? Is it a way to make her feel younger (very defensive about her age.)
• Revealing her promiscuous past (AGAIN, lack of innocence of Old South/ hypocritical nature.)

Question 23

Significance of Mitch appearing straight after young man.

Answer 23

• Blanche balancing between being typical Southern Belle with gentelman caller (Mitch) delivering to her “roses” and being this promisicuous, raw character whose actions are based on DESIRE.
• Destruction of Old South (doesn’t know who she is…)

Question 24

Who is “Mr Rosenkavalier” - Blanche addresses Mitch with this name?

Answer 24

• Aristocratic hero.

Question 25

Significane of Blanche saying “Ah Merci” to Mitch at end of scene.

Answer 25

• French = language of love (foreshadows love between these characters.)
• She says “thank you!” to young man. Again, battle between her Southern Belle/ french/ poised self and her promiscuous self that has become victim to the ways of the New South.

Question 26

Give a brief summary of this scene.

Answer 26

• Blanche is laughing at herself for writing to Shep. Steve and Eunice have a row, Blanche is shocked. Blanche flirts with Stanley. Stanley says his friends saw Blanche at “Flamingo” - Blanche panics and makes sure Stella doesn’t know anything. Young man introduced at end of scene - Blanche makes sexual advanaces. Mitch comes into the scene and offers Blanche roses.

Question 27

Significance of Blanche flirting with Stanley in this scene.

Answer 27

• Previous scene: she spoke about how animilastic/ primitive he is and now feels completely comfortable (getting used to ways of The New South –> is there a detrimental effect because of this?)