Streetcar 2 Flashcards
Blanche bathing
- key motif
- happens mostly after she has had a breakdown
- represents themes of privacy, escape, avoidance, baptism, cleanliness and purity, sexuality
- shows her as a parasite on Stanley and stella (no job, time, etc
- allows her to be practically naked in the flat (doesn’t dress in the bathroom)
‘I’m taking Blanche…’
‘I’m taking Blanche to Galatoires’ for supper’ - Stella
- shows some level of control, she is telling him not asking
‘How about my…’
‘How about my supper, huh? I’m not going to no Galatoires’ for supper!’ - Stanley
- childish resentment
- a problem she has to fix
‘and you’d better…’
‘and you’d better give me some money.’ - Stella
- again showing control, but also comfort with Stanley
‘[vaguely] Oh, it had to…’
‘[vaguely]: Oh it had to be - sacrificed or something’ - Stella
- deliberately avoiding the details
Stella tries to gloss over the Belle Reve information
‘When she comes in be sure to say something nice about her appearance. And, oh! Don’t mention the baby.’ - Stella
- quickly changes the subject after dropping the Belle Reve bomb
Stanley becomes interrogative
‘So?’ repeated then ‘huh?’ also repeated
- domineering and impatient
‘Yeah. I get the…’
‘Yeah. I get the idea. Now let’s skip back a little to where you said the country place was disposed of.’ - Stanley
- taking command
- begins to engage and speak more (longer sentences)
‘So that’s the deal…’
‘So that’s the deal, huh? Sister Blanche cannot be annoyed with business details right now!’ - Stanley
- accusatory
- undertone of anger/frustration
‘Uh-hum…’
‘Uh-hum, I saw how she was. Now let’s have a gander at the bill of sale.’ - Stanley
- dismissive of Blanche’s mental state
‘Shhh…’
‘Shhh! She’ll hear you.’ - Stella
- attempt to deescalate
‘I don’t care…’
‘I don’t care if she hears me. Let’s see the papers!’ - Stanley
- where Stella is more worried about upsetting Blanche than any paperwork, Stanley is the opposite
‘There weren’t any…’
‘There weren’t any papers, she didn’t show any papers, I don’t care about papers.’ - Stella
- doesn’t want to upset both Blanche and Stanley - managing both
- dismissing the papers idea
- holding her own even as Stanley becomes angry
‘Have you heard of…’
‘Have you heard of the Napoleonic code?’ - Stanley
- legal terms, knowledge over stella
- repeats ‘Napoleonic code’ lots from here onwards
‘No, Stanley, I haven’t heard…’
‘No, Stanley, I haven’t heard of the Napoleonic code’ - Stella
- dismissive of it, tired of him (can almost hear her sighing)
‘My head..’
‘My head is swimming!’ - stella
- stopping the conversation
‘It looks to me like…’
‘It looks to me like you have been swindled, baby, and wen you’re swindled under the Napoleonic code I’m swindled /too/. And I don’t like to be /swindled/.’ - Stanley
- growing resentment for Blanche/Stella’s family
- distrusting of the rich
‘you don’t know how…’
‘you don’t know how ridiculous you are being when you suggest that my sister or I or anyyone of our family could have perpetrated a swindle on anyone else.’ - Stella
- diction becomes longer and more traditional
- defends Blanche and their family
Stanley becomes aggressive and angry (SD)
‘[He stalks into bedroom]’
‘[He pulls open the wardrobe trunk […] and jerks out an armful of dresses]’
‘[hurls the furs]’
‘[jerks open]’
‘[pulls up a fistful of costume jewellery]’
what are some of the clothes Stanley pulls out and comments on?
- ‘A solid-gold dress, I believe!’
- ‘Fox-pieces’ ‘Genuine fox fur-pieces, a half a mile long!’
- ‘treasure chest’ ‘deep-sea diver who brings up sunken treasures?’
- ‘Pearls! Ropes of them!’
- ‘Bracelets of solid gold’
- ‘diamonds!’
- ‘A crown for an empress!’
‘Where are your…’ (repeated)
‘Where are your fox-pieces, Stella?’
‘Where are your white fox-pieces?’
‘Where are all your pearls and gold bracelets?’
‘Where are your pearls and gold bracelets?’
- Stanley
‘The treasure…’
‘The treasure chest of a pirate!’
‘What is this sister of yours, a deep-sea diver who brings up sunken treasures? Or is she the champion safe-cracker of all time!’ - Stanley
- becomes fantastical
- story-like and simplistic language
what do the clothes and Stanley’s misjudgement show?
- the divide between the old and new america (with stella as a bridge)
- stanley sees all these things as real and expensive because he assumes as much
- Stella points out they are inexpensive fakes
- Blanche keeps these fake expensive accessories (to fake her southern belle identity?)
‘What’s rhinestone?’
- class distinction
- antagonism
‘You have no idea how stupid…’
‘You have no idea how stupid and horrible you’re being!’ - Stella to Stanley
‘The Kowalskis and…’
‘The Kowalskis and DuBois have different notions’ - Stanley
- sees class as the problem
- which does Stella belong to?
‘Indeed they have…’
‘Indeed they have, thank heavens! - /I’m/ going outside.’ [She snatches up her white hat and gloves and crosses to the outside door.]’
- reverts to her southern belle, aristocratic side (‘white hat and gloves’ like Blanche’s)
‘Since when do you…’
‘Since when do you give me orders?’ - Stanley to Stella
- he has become angry and the dynamic has changed
‘You’re damn…’
‘You’re damn tootin’ I’m going to stay here.’ - Stanley
- wants to argue, impulsive
‘[Blanche comes out…]’
‘[Blanche comes out of the bathroom in a red satin robe.]’
- bathing will become a quirk Stanley dislikes
- next to naked
- femininity and sexuality
- chooses not to get dressed in the bathroom
‘Hello, Stanley…’
‘Hello, Stanley! Here I am, all freshly bathed…’ - Blanche
- ‘Here I am’ is suggestive given her lack of clothing
- wants him to look at her
‘all freshly bathed…’
‘all freshly bathed and scented, and feeling like a brand-new human being!’ - Blanche
- idea of baptism
- drawing attention to her next to nudity
‘Excuse me while…’
‘Excuse me while I slip on my pretty new dress!!’ - Blanche
- again, drawing attention to nudity
‘[ominously]: Yeah?’
‘[ominously]: Yeah?’ - Stanley
- waiting to strike
‘I’m going to…’
‘I’m going to ask a favour of you in a moment.’ - Blanche
‘What could that be, I wonder?’ - Stanley
‘Some buttons…’
‘Some buttons in back! You may enter!’ - Blanche
- nudity again, finding reasons
‘[He crosses through…’
‘[He crosses through the drapes with a smouldering look.]’ - SD
- sexual/anger
Blanche’s flirting
- open and flagrant
- idea that she seduces him
- her only known way of interacting with men
‘You men with your big clumsy fingers.’
‘May I have a drag on your cig?’
‘I was fishing for a compliment’
‘I cannot imagine any witch of a woman casting a spell over you’
‘a little bit on the primitive side’
‘cards on the table’
‘paints in strong, bold colours, primary colours’
‘You men…’
‘You men with your big clumsy fingers. May I have a drag on your cig?’ - Blanche
- flirting
- masculinity
Stanley is dismissive of Blanche’s flirting
‘You look all right’
‘I can’t do nothing with them.’
‘Have one for yourself’
‘Your looks are okay’
‘I don’t go in for that stuff’
‘I can’t do…’
‘I can’t do nothing with them.’ - Stanley (buttons)
- double negative (difference in education vs Blanche)
‘Why, thanks…’
‘Well, you certainly…’
‘Why, thanks! … It looks like my trunk has exploded.’ - Blanche
‘Well, you certainly did a fast and thorough job of it!’ - Blanche
- both aware of the elephant in the room but are skirting around the topic
‘It looks like you raided…’
‘It looks like you raided some stylish shops in Paris.’ - Stanley
- sarcastic question
‘What does it cost…’
‘What does it cost for a string of fur-pieces like that?’ - Stanley
‘He must have…’
‘He must have had a lot of - admiration!’ - Stanley
- suggestive
‘Oh, in my…’
‘Oh, in my youth I excited some admiration. But look at me now!’ - Blanche
- fishing for compliments (self-depreciating)
- declining/aging southern belle
‘I was fishing…’
‘I was fishing for a compliment, Stanley.’ - Blanche
- outward, not subtle
- Stanley is dismissive and even rejecting of her, he allows the convo. to become one-sided
‘I don’t go…’
‘I don’t go in for that stuff.’ - Stanley
‘I never met a woman…’
‘I never met a woman that didn’t know if she was good-looking or not without being told’ - Stanley
- targeted at Blanche given her persistent search for compliments
‘Some men are…’
‘Some men are took in by this Hollywood glamour stuff and some men are not.’ - Stanley
- again, aimed at Blanche (glamour)
- the distinction between her and him
‘I cannot imagine any…’
‘I cannot imagine any witch of a woman casting a spell over you.’ - Blanche
- conflicting given she appears to be trying to seduce him with all the outward flirting
‘You’re simple, straightforward…’
‘You’re simple, straightforward and honest, a little bit on the primitive side I should think.’ - Blanche to Stanley
- trying to prove she knows him
- trying to work out how she can appeal to him
‘To interest you a…’
‘To interest you a woman would have to - [she pauses with an indefinite gesture.]’ - Blanche
‘[Slowly]: Lay… her cards on the table.’ - Stanley
- trying to work out how to appeal to him
- sexuality, suggestive
‘Well, life is too full…’
‘Well, life is too full of evasions and ambiguities, I think. I like an artist who paints in strong, bold colours, primary colours.’ - Blanche
- ironic given she evades questions about Belle Reve and talks in embellished language
- likes explicit, forward advances
- sexuality and masculinity
‘when you walked in…’
‘when you walked in here last night, I said to myself - ‘My sister has married a man!’’ - Blanche
- brings attention back to the SIL-BIL grounds (triggers Stanley’s cut back to the Belle Reve topic)
‘Now let’s cut…’
‘Now let’s cut the re-bob!’ - Stanley
- power struggle
- trying to end the flirtatious lines?
‘Stanley! You come out…’
‘Stanley! You come out here and let Blanche finish dressing!’ - Stella
- mediator
‘Your sister and I…’
‘Your sister and I are having a little talk.’ - Stanley
- patronising (“this convo is for grown ups”)
‘Honey, do me a…’
‘Honey, do me a favour. Run to the drug-store and get me a lemon-coke with plenty of chipped ice in it! - Will you do that for me, Sweetie?’ - Blanche
- patronising
- treats her like a maid or a child (demands things but also like she doesn’t know anything)
- getting rid of her
- feigns innocence ‘[lightly]’
‘The poor…’
‘The poor thing was out there listening to us, and I have an idea she doesn’t understand you as well as I do’ - Blanche
- ‘Honey’ ‘Sweetie’ ‘little talk’ ‘Will you do that for me’
- treats her like a child or someone to be pitied
- patronising
- make her seem superior to Stella
‘All right, now…’
‘All right, now, Mr Kowalski, let us proceed without any more double-talk.’ - stanley
- switches to formalities (‘Mr Kowalski’ from the flirting)
‘I’m ready to answer…’
‘I’m ready to answer all questions. I’ve got nothing to hide. What is it?’ - Blanche
‘My, but you have…’
‘My, but you have an impressive judicial air!’
- flirtatious
- avoidance
Blanche avoiding questions
‘I’m ready to answer all questions’ then:
‘My, but you have an impressive judicial air!’
‘[playfully sprays him with it]’
‘He seizes the…’
‘[He seizes the atomizer and slams it down on the dresser.]’ - SD
- power and masculinity
‘If I didn’t know that…’
‘If I didn’t know that you was my wife’s sister I’d get ideas about you!’ - Stanley
- suggestive
‘Don’t play so…’
‘Don’t play so dumb. You know what!’ - Stanley
- frustrated at the fake innocence
‘Papers! That…’
‘Papers! That stuff people write on!’ - Stanley
- sarcasm
‘There /were/…’
‘There /were/ some papers.’ - Blanche
‘They probably are, somewhere.’ - B
- ambiguity, still airy (‘life is too full of evasions and ambiguities’ - B)
‘Everything that I…’
‘Everything that I own is in that trunk.’ - Blanche
- lost everything, permanence
‘[shoves it…]’
‘[shoves it roughly open]’ - SD (stanley)
- anger
‘What’s in the back of that…’
‘What’s in the back of that little boys’ mind of yours?’ - Blanche
- contrast to ‘My sister has married a man’
‘That I am absconding…’
‘That I am absconding with something, attempting some kind of treachery on my sister?’ - Blanche
- hyperbolised
‘These are love-letters…’
‘These are love-letters, yellowing with antiquity, all from one boy.’ - Blanche
- poetic - trying to be airy
- honour and purity?
‘[He snatches…]’
‘[He snatches them up. She speaks fiercely.] Give those back to me!’ - SD and Blanche
- sore spot
- power play
‘I’ll have a look…’
‘I’ll have a look at them first!’ - Stanley
- power, demanding
‘The touch of your…’
‘The touch of your hand insults them!’ - Blanche
- poetic again, passionate and floral
‘[He rips off the…’
‘[He rips off the ribbon and starts to examine them. Blanche snatches them from him, and they cascade to the floor.]’ - SD
- power
‘Now that you’ve touched…’
‘Now that you’ve touched them I’ll burn them!’ - Blanche
- real emotion
‘Poems a dead…’
‘Poems a dead boy wrote. I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me, but you can’t!’ - Blanche
- real emotion - guilt?
- but is this true or will he hurt her?
‘I’m not young…’
‘I’m not young and vulnerable any more. But my young husband was and I - never mind about that!’ - Blanche
- emotional
- regret
‘Just give…’
‘Just give them back to me!’ - Blanche
- simplified, no flowery language
‘I’m sorry, I must have…’
‘I’m sorry, I must have lost my head for a moment. Everyone has something he won’t let others touch because of their - intimate nature…’
- regained composure
- archaic ‘won’t let others touch’
‘[She now seems…]’
‘[She now seems faint with exhaustion]’
- back to pre-bath Blanche
‘[puts on a…]’
‘[puts on a pair of glasses and goes methodically through a large stack of papers]’
- change in persona
‘[touching her…’
‘[toucher her forehead]: that must have been what happened.’ - Blanche
- damsel
‘I don’t want no…’
‘I don’t want no ifs, ands, or buts!’ - Stanley
- she hadn’t said any
- trying to remain angry
‘[She hands…]’
‘[She hands him the entire box.]’
- submissive
‘affecting Belle Reve as,…’
‘affecting Belle Reve as, piece by piece, our improvident grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornications’ - Blanche
- shares with Stanley
- ‘improvident’ - not forward-thinking
- ‘epic fornications’ 0 slang, attributing it to the male sex and their sexual natures
‘including a graveyard…’
‘including a graveyard, to which now all but Stella and I have retreated.’ - Blanche
- death again (monologue)
‘Here all of them…’
‘Here all of them are, all papers! I hereby endow you with them!’ - Blanche
- dramatic
‘I think it’s wonderfully…’
‘I think it’s wonderfully fitting that Belle Reve should finally be this bunch of old papers in your big, capable hands!’ - Blanche
- flirty/lightening the tone
- unlike her
- connecting him to the ‘improvident’ and sexual men
- rock bottom
‘Present them to…’
‘Present them to him with a box of aspirin tablets.’ - Blanche
- comedic
‘[becoming somewhat…’
‘[becoming somewhat sheepish]: You see, under the Napoleonic code - a man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairs’
- guilt and embarrassment
- defensive
‘a man has to take an interest…’
‘a man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairs - especially now that she’s going to have a baby’ - Stanley
- lets it slip whilst defending his behaviour (‘don’t mention the baby’)
‘[Blanche opens her…]’
‘Blanche opens her eyes. The ‘blue piano’ sounds louder.]’ - SD
- returns to present
- rising tension as audience realises
‘[Dreamily…’
‘[Dreamily.] I didn’t know she was going to have a baby!’ - Blanche
- doesn’t react as expected
- still out of it ‘Dreamily’
- concretes that she’s chosen Stanley’s world
- just been flirting with the father
‘Everything is all right…’
‘Everything is all right; we thrashed it out. I feel a bit shaky, but I think I handled it nicely. I laughed and treated it all as a joke, called him a little boy and laughed - and flirted!’ - Blanche
- focuses on herself
- immaturity (trying to irritate him)
‘Yes - I was…’
‘Yes - I was flirting with your husband, Stella!’ - Blanche
- not ashamed
- no empathy or consideration for Stella’s feelings
‘I’m sorry he did…’
‘I’m sorry he did that to you.’ - Stella
- doesn’t consider herself and the fact her sister flirted with her husband
- guilt over Stanley’s actions
‘He’s just not the sort that…’
‘He’s just not the sort that goes for jasmine perfume!’ - Blanche
- immaturity
‘But maybe he’s just what…’
‘But maybe he’s just what we need to mix with our blood now that we’ve lost Belle Reve’ - Blanche
- new start - different to B yet in some ways like her ancestors
‘How pretty the…’
‘How pretty the sky is! I ought to go there on a rocket that never comes down.’ - Blanche
- innocence, fantasy
‘[Blanche utters a sharp…]’
‘[Blanche utters a sharp, frightened cry and shrinks away]’
- easily spooked by this new world
‘The blind are…’
‘The blind are - leading the blind!’ - Blanche to end scene 2
