Stanley Kowalski Flashcards
What quotes in Scene 1 reinforce the idea that Stanley is animalistic? (3 quotes)
Stanley [bellowing]: Hey, there! Stella, Baby!
Stanley: Catch!
Stella: What
Stanley: Meat!
“Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes.”
“Since earliest manhood… pleasure with women…. Power and pride…Richly feathered bird… gaudy seed bearer.”
How does William portray Stanley’s disdain for women in Scene 2? (1 quote and 1 point)
STANLEY: I never met a dame that didn’t know she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they’ve got.
This quote establishes Stanley’s brutal honesty and disdain for women.
How does Williams portray Stanley as sexist? (1 point and 4 quotes)
“BLANCHE: Poker is so fascinating. Could I kibitz?
STANLEY: You could not. Why don’t you women go up and sit with Eunice?”
Stanley refuses to let Blanche into a space that is reserved for men - an instance of misogyny and sexism
The quotes below reinforce the idea:
Scene 1 - “He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them.”
Scene 3 - “You hens cut out that conversation in there!”
Scene 6 - “QUIET IN THERE–We’ve got a noisy woman on the place.”
How does Williams use Blanche’s monologue in Scene 4 to portray Stanley? (1 quote and 3 points)
Scene 4 - “He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits!…Don’t - don’t hang back with the brutes!”
Animalistic and primitive imagery using repetition of words like ‘ape’, ‘creature’, ‘animal’, ‘stone age’, ‘grunt’, etc. - later triggered when the “jungle noises” play during the rape
“grunting” and “gnawing” reflect Stanley’s behaviour throughout the play as provided by stage directions
This scene is also vital because Stanley, unseen, overhears everything Blanche is saying - he realises Blanche’s influence on Stella when he is called an animal, deeming Blanche as a threat
What does Stanley telling Mitch about Blanche in Scene 7 indicate about him? (1 quote and 3 points)
Stanley: You’re goddamn right I told him! I’d have that on my conscience the rest of my life if I knew all that stuff and let my best friend get caught!
Denotes Stanley as a man of honour who could not let his friend be deceived by Blanche - paints him as a hero who loves and cares for his “best friend”
Could contrarily be seen as a selfish move - wants Blanche out of his life and prevents her from hoping for a better life
His tone indicates anger and not regret - no empathy for Blanche despite knowing her troubled past
How does Williams portray Stanley in Scene 8? (3 quotes and 3 points)
“Remember what Huey Long said - ‘Every Man is a King!’ And I am a king around here, so don’t forget it.”
Stanley feels the need to re-establish his power and role as the patriarch, as he feels jealous and threatened by the power Blanche has over Stella.
“STANLEY: Ticket! Back to Laurel! On the Greyhound! Tuesday!”
Stanley knows that Blanche cannot return to Laurel, yet he gets her the ticket out of spite - he wants her gone and enjoys her pain due to his deep-seated hatred for her
“STANLEY: When we first met, you thought I was common…I pulled you down off them columns and how you loved it.”
Stanley, in his plight to establish control over Stella, reminds her that it was his “common” status that was endearing to her at times
How does Williams portray Stanley as clever in Scene 10? (3 points)
“I’ve been on to you from the start! Not once did you pull any wool over this boy’s eyes!” - condescendingly ensures Blanche knows that he wasn’t fooled by her theatrics - uses a condescending tone as he addresses her delusions
“cover the light bulb with a paper lantern…the place has turned into Egypt” - hyperbolic metaphor insinuates him knowing that she is using it to cover the truth and further her falsely constructed image
He laughs in her face and asserts at the end that she is still swilling down [his] liquor!” - she is still using his money to further her fantasy so he reminds her that she is dependent on his mercy
How does William portray Stanley in Scene 11? (1 quote and 3 points)
“Stanley: [voluptuously, soothingly]: Now, honey. Now, love..”
We see Stanley at the end, once again using his sexuality to lure Stella back to him - while she sobs over Blanche’s cruel exit, he tries to comfort her by caressing her and groping her
He cares only for himself and his hedonistic needs - reaches into her blouse with a clear lack of consent
His tone is coaxing, using “honey” and “love” to bring her back to him, empathetically denying her right to mourn
