Scene two Flashcards
“Blanche is…
“Blanche is bathing
first mention of her cleansing herself from her impurities and the environment which she also envisions as impure and doesn’t fit in.
Napol…
Napoleonic code
code which meant that everything belonging to the wife also belongs to the husband
Stanleys knowledge is limited to just things that work in his favor or prevent him from being “swindled”
Stanley assertively questions Stella with this - interrogative tone that is seen throughout scene and presents his controlling and manipulating nature.
“Hu…” and My head is “s…”
Hush and My head is swimming
while my head is swimming shows a naive dependent side of stella that has a subservient weakness
hush shows an equality in their relationship despite having little rights legally or financially. Stella is allowed a voice in the relationship.
red sati…
red satin robe
trying to be seductive and manipulative
contrasts to her perceived purity and signifies to her tainted past.
every time blanche has this she is independant and can hold her own in conversations with men
the manipulation with sexual actions is similar to Stanley attempts - takes his shirt off at first meeting
she sprays herself with the…
she sprays herself with the atomizer then playfully sprays him with it he seizes the atomizer and slams it
blanches manipulation in a flirtatious manner - clearly unnerving stanley who feels his masculinity is being questioned.
once again stanley is taking things - terretorial, this is his domain
violent actions shows how he reacts under an unnerving experience, losing his cool while blanche controls the exchange.
He snatch… (whole sequnce where stanley takes blanches poems)
He snatches them up
Blanche is always sensative about her love
this is the first major conflict in the play
Stanley is amazed that Blanche can be so upset about the poems - she will burn them now he has touched them - very insulting to Stanley.
blanche has a mysterious past and stops herself in speach - wants any possible impurities to not be revealed, suggests something bad.
Father and uncles and brothers
Blanche is saying that men have put her in her situation - lost belle reve and now she must rely on men to survive - tragic situation of many women of the time
Blanche is aware of legalities compared to stella, putting her on a level plane with stanley mentally.
being sarcastic about men in this sequence especially insulting stanleys masculinity.
