Social Class Flashcards
‘Section is poor/ raffish charm’
Elysian Fields is set up to be slightly deprived which makes the juxtaposition between Blanche’s Belle Reve more accentuated - could also be a symbolism of Stanley with the word ‘raffish’
‘Her appearance is incongruous to this setting’
Blanche’s privileged background is implied heavily from her first appearance
‘Polacks’
The derogatory word shows Blanche’s hypocrisy after being raised in a predominately white society
‘Now let’s skip back to a little to where you said the country place was disposed of’
Stanley is controlling the conversation to talk about what he is interested in - his way of speaking is very idiomatic and informal suggesting he has a lower class background
‘The kowalski’s and the Dubois have different notions’
Sets up the divided between Stanley and Blanche and also the Old South and the New South
‘Hes what we need to mix with our blood now’
Although she is trying to be progressive there is almost a hypocrisy in this as Blanche is almost stooping down to the level of Stanley
‘Please don’t get up’
Emphasises Blanche’s upbringing in high society
‘Big beefy things’
Although Stella has become accustomed to the New South she is still insulting so people and their lifestyle as they are different from her background as a southern belle
‘Stella slips down the staircase’
The proxemics shows Stella coming down from her high class background and joining Stanley in his world
‘common/ordinary/plain/bestial’
All insulting phrases used to describe Stanley
‘Quaint little words and phrases I’ve picked up here’
Feels very patronising - Blanche again is speaking from her hypocrisy of her background of good education - diminutive
‘I have old fashioned ideals! She rolls her eyes’
Comedic - she is trying to appeal to him but she is clearly bored with the conversation
‘I pulled you down of them column and how you loved it having them coloured lights going’
Plantation homes usually have columns - Stanley has pulled Stella down from her old south background and introduced her to the environment of the new south
‘Our attitudes and backgrounds are incompatible’
The clash between cultures is one of the ultimate reasons that the rape happens at the end of the scene
What are some contexts for social class?
williams mother was a southend belle and he grew up in the deep south
southern gothic began after ww2 involving dark transgressive characters
