A Streetcar Named
Desire: Scene Notes – Scene 2
Summary:
·
The scene
starts with Stella telling
·
Stella
explains that Blanche has lost Belle Reve and asks
·
Tension is created between Stanley
and Stella:
·
Stanley and Blanche meet for the
first time; Blanche is very flirtatious towards him (for example by asking him
to button up her dress) while he is blunt towards her, foreshadowing that
tensions will continue to rise between these two characters.
·
·
Once again Stella is seen as the
submissive character;
·
Additionally,
the audience and Blanche find out that Stella is pregnant, perhaps the
explanation as to why Blanche made the previous comment about her weight gain
in Scene 1. (However, it does seem that Blanche’s comment was still
meant to be a superficial comment on Stella’s looks intended to make Blanche
feel better about her own figure)
·
Stella
returns from the drugstore, and some of the men arrive for their poker game.
Exhilarated by the news of Stella’s pregnancy and by her own handling of the
situation with
Motifs &
Connotations:
Inside and
outside
Instead of
being a refuge from the harsh outer world, the confines of the house seem
restrictive and just as tense as the outside world, or even more so, for the
glimpses that have been seen of the outside (Scene 1) are relatively positive,
as there is a sense of community. This is in contrast to the inside, where the
relationships are strained and there is a sense of false sincerity and
materialism, especially with Blanche. For instance, “my pretty new dress” (135)
indicates how Blanche is obsessed with appearances, and also the validation and
approval of others. This materialism and false pretenses does not seem to be
present within the outside world and hence, although Blanche appears to be
seeking a haven from the outside, for her the situation inside seems even
worse.
There is an
association with the outside with a wild and unknown environment and this leads
to the idea of the need to depend upon another. For example, “Which way do we –
go now- Stella?” (141.) The gaps within the speech helps to emphasize the
uncertainty of the situation, already present by the question mark;
additionally, the quotation highlights Blanche’s dependency on Stella for
guidance and support. Furthermore,
Blanche believes that “The blind are – leading the blind!” (142), revealing the
uncertainty that she feels, stepping into the real world, out of her
euphemistic ideals. The dash perhaps emphasizes Blanche’s hesitation and
reluctance to admit that she is uncertain of her surroundings.
Bathing as a
form of purification
The action
of bathing and cleansing oneself can be seen during Scene Two. In one instance,
Blanche is “soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves.” (131) This could be seen
as Blanche once again escaping reality; her cleansing is a form of escapism
from the harshness of reality, another motif present within this scene. This
once again shows how Blanche is unable to deal with life and is related to her
drinking as both are a form of escape from, for her, the grim reality of
everyday life. In this sense, Blanche can be seen as a weak character who is
dependent upon others in order to function.
Additionally,
Blanche views bathing as a renewal of herself, as if to literally wash off the
shock of Stella’s husband and house. She seems to regard this ritual is a
necessity, as she has been rejuvenated and “feeling like a brand-new human
being!” (135) Furthermore, the idea of scenting oneself could be interpreted as
trying to hide a person’s true nature; Blanche scents herself to distract
herself and possibly others from reality: she “playfully” sprays Stanley,
possibly as an attempt to distract him from the legal documents.
Papers
In scene two, we see several uses of paper, in particular
legal papers. Firstly, they serve as proof. For example, on page 132,
However, for Blanche papers represent her past, as the
papers proved the ownership of the house and possibly when she “endows”
Clothes
In this scene clothes reveal much about the protagonist
Blanche. One of her first actions in the scene is putting on her dress, at
which point she asks
Themes &
Connotations:
Masculine
males vs. delicate, dependent females
There are
several conflicts within this scene, one of them being masculine males vs.
delicate, dependent females.
Furthermore,
Conflict
between sisters
Once again,
underlying tensions can be seen between Stella and Blanche; it seems as if
Blanche is almost proud when she confesses that, “Yes-I was flirting with your
husband, Stella!” (141) The reason for her pride could be interpreted as the
ability to tease men, something Blanche perceives as crucial in order to remain
youthful. Furthermore, by flirting with
Declining upper
class vs. burgeoning working class
“The
Kowalskis and the Dubois have different notions” (135) summarizes the
difference between the lower class, emphasized by the immigrant surname of
Kowalski in contrast to the French name Dubois which has connotations of power,
wealth and aristocracy. However, the declining upper class is emphasized by the
loss of Belle Reve. Furthermore, the idea that Stella adopted
Additionally,
“He’s just not the sort that goes for jasmine perfume!” (141) shows the
audience that Stanley and Blanche (and Stella’s) status is too different for
him to truly appreciate the finer parts of life, or the elegance and class of
perfume, further highlighting the conflict between classes.
Loneliness
and the longing for love
The image of
the love letters emphasizes Blanche’s longing for love, as well as the need to
cling onto the past with her letters, “yellowing with antiquity.” (139) Her need to stay in the past may be due
to the fact that she was loved, youthful and beautiful, which is supposedly
better than she is now.
Pleasant
dreams vs. ugly reality
There are
several instances where Blanche is seen as escaping reality and imagining
better things. She is “[Singing in the bathroom]” (132) whilst cleansing
herself, rubbing off the initial negative impressions of Stella’s house. The motifs are associated with
Blanche’s attempt to fabricate an alternate reality: she uses clothes to change
her outer appearance, and to make herself feel better about herself. In doing
so, she disregards the truth and makes herself believe that she still looks
good despite the fact that she has aged. Through the need of constant
re-affirmation of her beauty, we feel sympathy for Blanche, as she desperately
tries to hold on to something which is slipping through her fingers.
Additionally, her hoarding of papers, especially the poems from her husband,
show that she is unable to let go of the past.
Blanche’s
haughty disdain of life in Elysian Fields may alienate some members of the
audience. However, Blanche’s simple, childlike glee while bathing and the fact
that all she wants is a pleasant illusion suggests that Williams intends us to
sympathies with more than judge her.
In this way Blanche’s is the binary opposite of
Stanley who is practical and brutishly revels in the simple, vibrant life that
we see surround him in
Characters:
Stella
Once again,
she is seen as the submissive, meek character. She obeys
In this scene, we see
However,
Stanley does not appear to be the victor this time and his repetition of the
phrase “I got an acquaintance who deals in this sort of merchandise” (134)
portrays him not as a man who has many contacts and resources but instead it
serves to ridicule him as he seems to have been outmaneuvered by Blanche and
has nothing else to say.
Blanche
Blanche’s character
continues to be portrayed as materialistic and obsessed with the outward
appearance. However, she elicits some compassion by mentioning the love
letters, the loss of Belle Reve and, perhaps most poignantly, her admission
that her jewelry and furs are all fake, and as such the audience may empathise
with her for a moment although this may be
undermined by her hysterical outburst when Stanley touches her love
letters and her claim that she will now have to “burn them!” (139) which is an
indication that she once again views herself better than her current
surroundings.
In this
scene, Blanche uses the process of bathing as a way to distract herself from
reality in much the same way as her alcohol consumption in the previous Scene.
As such, although there is a sense in which she seems to get the upper hand of
Imagery
& Setting:
This scene
is set mostly within
The outside
world is equally threatening for Blanche (although the audience may see little
more than a lively slum in New Orleans) but there is a heightened sense of
confusion and danger presented with the outside world, as there is uncertainty
and the feeling that the “blind are leading the blind!”
Relation of
Part to Whole:
This scene
follows on from the introduction of the three main characters, and further
develops the relationships between Stanley, Stella and Blanche. Tension is
heightened by the action on stage, especially when
This scene serves to set the foundation of the conflict
between Blanche and Stanley. We also see, for the first time, how aggressive
and powerful