Scene Four Flashcards
1
Q
Key quotes for scene 4
A
- “Her eyes and lips have that almost narcotised tranquillity” - Stage Directions
- “There is a confusion of street cries like a choral chant”
- “I was sort of thrilled by it.”
- “Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?”
- “This morning he gave me ten dollars to smooth things over.” - Stella
- “Stanley Kowalski – survivor of the Stone Age” - Blanche
- “I’ve got to get hold of a bromo” - Blanche
- “In this dark march toward whatever it is we’re approaching….don’t hang back with the brutes!” Blanche
-“Stella has embraced him with both arms, fiercely and in full view of Blanche… he grins through the curtains at Blanche” - “Outside, a train approaches” - stage directions
- “I ran into Shep Huntleigh” - Blanche
2
Q
Plot summary for scene 4
A
- Morning after the poker game – Stella is in post-coital bliss; BD is sleepless and distressed.
- BD mentions Shep Huntleigh as her escape for the first time.
- BD tells Stella that SK is an ape – SK overhears – Stella runs to SK who gazes triumphantly at BD as the trumpets and drums blare.
3
Q
What argument does John McCrae have about scene 4?
A
- In the aftermath of the Poker Night, confusion and noise continues “like a choral chant”, like in a Greek Tragedy. The choral commentary outside emphasised that life goes on outside these events. (In Greek Tragedies, the chorus is only able to comment on action, not change it). This links to BD’s helplessness to intervene with SK and Stella.
- BD’s dream of Shep H, whether he is real or unreal, gives us an insight into her mixing of fantasy and reality. Even if he is real, he is married anyway and they haven’t spoken in years, so he serves to show us the extent of her delusion.
- BD describes SK in animalistic terms: she compares him to the Stone Age Man – SK is a man who lives explicitly with his feelings, thoughts and emotions and his feelings almost come out as animal ones. BD almost perhaps admires the vitality of the New American Man and there is a contrast between SK’s openness and the reserved nature of the men of Belle Reve and the culture of Southern Aristocracy.
- Mitch is an emblem of unfulfilled desire.
- DESIRE focus of scene
- Potentially the purpose of the scene is to contrast BD and Stella’s responses to the male violence of the night before – whilst BD is shattered by it, Stella is sexually excited by it – foreshadows how destructive the rape will be.
4
Q
Contextual notes about scene 4
A
- Choral Chant – classic feature of Greek Classical Tragedy – can comment but not change
- Narcotised tranquillity of Stella – we can initially see that Stella will never break away from SK – much as her sexual desire drives her need for him? (“I was sort of thrilled by it” – sex intertwined with violence) - this could also be a comment on societal expectations of women – Stella is preg with SK’s child so realistically there’s nowhere else for her to go.
- SK’s pyjamas – gaudily lie over the threshold of the bathroom establishing his dominance within the household especially BD’s feminine space where she tries to hide or escape the past but in a sense SK is always there.
5
Q
Notes on structure and stagecraft
A
- As the train goes past and SK enters it shows his sexual magnetism and dominance over sisterly relationship that BD and Stella have.
- Packages and seersucker pants represent his socio-economic background yet he contrasts the stereotypical working class man as he has an astute and cunning nature.
- BD trying to write with Kleenex and eyebrow pencil shows her hysteria in a moment of violence, plus superficial nature in terms of reaching for makeup.
- Didactic stage directions re: lighting and character movement at end of scene foreshadows how Stella will always choose SK over BD.
- SK licks his lips – foreshadows how the animalistic brute will conquer BD’s aristocratic ways in the end
6
Q
Links across literature in scene 4
A
- Choral chant again! Links to Greek Tragic Form of Aristotle’s Poetics.
- Bromo mentioned in Scene four – female hysteria felt by a lot of women as domestic abuse normalised (early indicator of ‘drugged housewife’ trope.
- Embrace at the end – obedient housewife returning to breadwinner of the family.
- Image of SK’s strength and power – image of omnipotent man over weak and passive woman.
