Streetcar - femininity

Question 1

Dehumanising women at start of play

Answer 1

‘You’ll hear them tapping on the shutters’

- looking for prostitutes

Question 2

Stella being submissive in first few lines + modern perspective

Answer 2

‘Can I come watch?’

Modern audience struck by idea she is asking for permission

Question 3

Stanley throwing package at Stella

Answer 3

‘He heaves a package at her’
‘She cries out in protest’
‘Laughing breathlessly’

Question 4

Meat symbolises

Answer 4

Stella being controlled and carelessly chucked around by her husband

Question 5

Eunice in control

Answer 5

‘Tell Steve to get him a poor boy’s sandwich’

Question 6

How does the setting of the Kowalski’s flat hint at women being used for sex and house chores

Answer 6

Description of the flat is just the ‘kitchen’ - housewife
and ‘bedroom’ - sexual pleasures

There is no sense of love or relationship, the flat has no living space. Stella’s love life revolves around sex and being a submissive wife.

Question 7

Blanche portrayed as frail and delicate when telling Stanley about Allan

Answer 7

‘I’m going to be sick’

‘Her head falls into her arms’

Question 8

Context

Answer 8

Domestic and sexual assault

Question 9

Abuse was seen as…

Answer 9

A way to discipline wives; they were seen as objects and possessions

Question 10

What did Williams say about women?

Answer 10

‘I understand women and I can write about them’

Question 11

‘He has an extraordinary…

Answer 11

‘He has an extraordinary understanding of women’ - Mann (about Williams)

Question 12

As a homosexual in a world where…

Answer 12

As a homosexual in a world where homosexuality was illegal, Williams’ is likely to have understood feelings of ostracisation similar to those that women experienced

Question 13

How was Williams’ mother treated by his father?

Answer 13

She was often abused by his aggressive, alcoholic father

Question 14

How was abuse dealt with in the 1950s?

Answer 14

Reports of abuse were usually ignored and it wasn’t until the 1970s that they became criminally prosecutable

Question 15

Stella’s sexual drive for Stanley

Answer 15

Away for a week and she ‘nearly goes wild’

On their ‘wedding night’ he ‘smashed the light bulbs with her slippers’

‘Thrilled by it’

Question 16

Blanche threatening Stanley’s masculinity

Answer 16

Stanley’s says ‘you hens cut out the conversation in there’

Blanche then ‘turns on the small white radio’

Stanley ‘stares’ at Blanche and she returns his look ‘without flinching’

‘The little boys’ room’

Question 17

Eunice threatening Stanley’s masculinity

Answer 17

‘Hah!’

‘Slams the door’ (in Stanley’s face)

Question 18

Stella returning to Stanley after abuse

Answer 18

‘ Her eyes go blind with tenderness’

Question 19

Blanche asking Stella why she wnet back to Stanley after he beat her

Answer 19

‘What were you thinking?’

‘Yelling’

Question 20

Stella on how Blanche is reacting to Stella returning to Stanley after he beat her

Answer 20

‘Too much of a fuss about this’

Question 21

Stella defending Stanley beating her

Answer 21

‘He didn’t know what he was doing’
‘He was as good as a lamb’
‘very, very, very ashamed of himself’

• talking about Stanley like he is a child??

Question 22

Stella happy about her marriage

Answer 22

‘I’m not in anything I want to get out of’

Question 23

Blanche when Stella says she loves Stanley

Answer 23

‘I tremble for you’

Question 24

Blanche threatening Stanley’s masculinity in her soliloquy

Answer 24

‘Acts like an animal’
‘Ape like’
‘Sub human’
‘Survivor of the stone age’
‘Gnawing and junking’

Framed narrative - creating a scene within a scene

Question 25

Eunice about to throw something at Steve (threatening masculinity)

Answer 25

‘Don’t you throw that at me’ - Steve

Wait was it not normal for women to also throw stuff ???

Question 26

Eunice feminine dominance

Answer 26

‘Steve comes down nursing a bruise on his forehead’

Question 27

Blanche asking Stanley his sign and mocking his actions

Answer 27

‘You must be an Aries’

‘They love to hang things around’

Question 28

Blanche’s vulnerable reaction to Stanley suggesting he knows about her past

Answer 28

‘’Faint shock’’
‘Laughs breathlessly’
‘Expression of panic’

Question 29

Eunice going back to Steve

Answer 29

‘Sobbing luxuriously’
‘Tight embrace’
Steve is ‘cooeing love-words’

Question 30

Why is Stella not very open to Blanche’s emotions ???

Answer 30

‘I don’t listen to you when you are being morbid’

‘You hate me to talk sentimental’

Blanche - ‘i feel more things than I tell you’ - reminding us of her tragedy ??

Question 31

Blanche says she was ‘obeying the law of nature’ by trying to seem happy on her date to Mitch

Answer 31

‘The lady must entertain the gentleman’

Question 32

How does Blanche play the role of a southern belle when she is in the car with Mitch on their date?

Answer 32

She rejects his kiss/offer for sex idk

‘I felt obliged to discourage’

Question 33

Blanche flirting outrageously with Mitch

Stage direction
French
How is language used
Noble

Answer 33

‘Lights a candle’ - only uses light when it is to her advantage - to create an atmospheric/romantic scene to flirt with Mitch

‘Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ces soir?’

Uses language as a form of deceit

Sense of Blanche using her education to place herself in a more noble/higher position than Mitch. (Toying with his lack of intelligence)

Question 34

Blanche playing the victim when she is with Mitch

Answer 34

About Stanley:
‘Insufferably rude’
‘He hates me’

‘Perhaps in some perverse kind of way he..’ … ‘gesture of revulsion’
What is the analysis of her suggesting Stanley wants to have sex with her ??? Self centred ? Promiscuous ?

Question 35

Stanley threatened by Blanche

‘That girl…

Answer 35

‘That girl calls me common!’

Question 36

Blanche’s reaction to Stanley’s yelling for her to get out the bathroom

Answer 36

‘Gay peaks of laughter’

But then when Stanley ‘crosses past her’

A ‘frightened look’ of ‘panic’

(Fearful of his physical threat ie. physical violence)

Question 37

Stella’s reaction to Stanley angry king scene

Answer 37

‘Cries weakly’
‘Shakes her head helplessly’
‘Miserably’

But then she
‘Stares reproachfully’ at Stanley
And says
‘I hope you’re pleased with your doings’

Question 38

Blanche as Stanley comes back from receiving the phone call which Blanche thought was Mitch

Answer 38

‘’Fiercely controls herself’

Why is she controlling herself? Is she scared of Stanley now? Controlling tears to not show weakness? Note Blanche never cries it’s always Stella

Question 39

Stella can handle Stanley/isn’t completely intimidated ?

Answer 39

‘You’re not going bowling’
‘Catches hold of his shirt’

But ultimately Stanley still wins ?

Question 40

Blanche threatening Mitch with ‘fire’

Answer 40

Fire symbolic of heated passion and anger and fear

Switches from ‘marry me!’ to ‘fire, fire!’

‘Screaming’

Irony because light (cigarette) brought them together but not light and fire is tearing them apart

Question 41

Blanche at end of play making out she is in a better position of dominance over Mitch etc (better way of phrasing that)

Answer 41

‘Mitch implored for my forgiveness’

‘Farewell my friend’

‘I think of myself as a very very rich woman’

Question 42

What does Stanley compare how Blanche has been acting to?

Answer 42

‘Queen of the Nile’

‘Sitting on your throne’

Question 43

Stella about believing Blanche and living with Stanley quote

Answer 43

I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley

Question 44

Blanche scared of Stanley and physical violence at very end of play quote

Answer 44

‘Seizes’ back the chair ‘as if to defend herself’

Blanche scared of Stanley physical violence
He has scarred her physically and emotionally

Question 45

Matron stripped of feminity quote

Answer 45

Softer properties of womanhood are ‘divested’