But then she meets Stanley. The setting is the exterior of a corner building on a street called Elysian Fields, which runs between the river and the train tracks in a poor section of New Orleans that has raffish [crude] charm. Faded white stairs lead up to the entrances of the shabby buildings two flats. He then asks Blanche some pointed questions which end with an inquiry about her earlier marriage. Stella tries to explain that New Orleans is different and that the apartment is not so bad. When they dance, we see that they are ill suited to one another even on a physical levelMitch dances clumsily, awkwardly mimicking Blanches grand movements. for a group? Stanley comes in and is apparently irritated. She has also lied about her age because she wants Mitch to want her. Williams romanticizes the neighborhood: even though it is poor, all races and classes are mixed, and the constant music gives everything a slightly dreamy quality. Tennessee Williams and A Streetcar Named Desire Background, Read more about the unnamed Black womans role. In bed with your Polack!, I took the blows in my face and my body!, Will Stanley life me, or will I be just a visiting in-law, Stella? I won't be looked at in this, I thought you would never come back to this horrible place! Blanche fibs that she is actually younger than Stella, and that she has come to New Orleans because Stella is ailing and needs her assistance. Blanche lost her husband and Mitch the girl who gave him the cigarette case with the poetic inscription. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The atmosphere of the kitchen is now the same. Want 100 or more? on 50-99 accounts. This scene also illustrates Williams' fondness for the use of symbols. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Aw. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Struggling with distance learning? 12 of 25. She pours a healthy shot, downs it immediately, replaces the bottle, cleans her tumbler, and returns to her original pose. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Stella arrives and they embrace happily, Blanche babbling excitedly about Stella's appearance and not giving her sister a chance to get a word in edge-wise. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Then, half-dressed, he stumbles out to the street and calls for his wife again and again: STELL- LAHHHHH! Eunice warns him to stop, but his bellowing cry continues. pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images, [drawing involuntarily back from his stare]. Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes. Mitch and Blanch's relationship is very much an illusion because What does Stanley tell Blanche about his acquaintance, Shaw? BLANCHE [with faintly hysterical vivacity]: At the sound of Blanche's voice Mitch's arm supporting his cards has sagged and his gaze is, And I'll be buried at sea sewn up in a clean white sack and dropped overboard--at noon--in the. In an instance of dramatic irony, Blanche lies about her consumption of what in Scene 1? After exchanging a few harsh words with Stanley, Mitch rises from the table to go to thebathroom. Blanche deftly deflects any criticism or questioning from her younger sister, and when certain revelations become necessary (as in the telling of the loss of Belle Reve) Blanche succeeds in spinning them around so that she is breaking the news on her own terms. Subscribe now. In the first meeting between Stella and Blanche, Blanche tells Stella to "turn that over-light off!" She cries out as if the lantern was herself. Why, that you had to live in these conditions! We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. You came to New Orleans and. You ought to lay off his liquor. He told her that he went in the drug store and had a cherry soda. The neighborhood is poor but has a raffish charm.. Blanche makes it clear from the start that her actions are involuntary "they," some unknown entity, told her to take a street-car named Desire. . could suggest Blanches movements and the things she seems to appreciate. She tries to check her criticism, but the reunion begins on a tense note. I never met a woman that didnt know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than theyve got. Blanche's emphasis that she can't be alone suggests that she is at a point of desperation at the opening of the play. Stella and Blanche return. The polka music is only in Blanches mindeven though the audience hears itand its appearance signifies that she is haunted by her dead husband. | Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. "Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements." Making small talk, Eunice mentions what she knows of Blanche from Stellathat Blanche is from Mississippi, that she is a teacher, and that her family estate is called Belle Reve. Which of the following events occurs first? MOTIFS: BATHS 1. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Blanche arrives in Scene 1 and reacts to her sister's new home with what? Rather than face the consequences of her actions, Blanche blames Stella for choosing the lower-class, Polish Stanley over the DuBois family. (For example, aside from Blanche, Chance Wayne in Sweet Bird of Youth and Sebastian in Suddenly, Last Summer are always dressed in white.) -Graham S. Blanche considers herself to be above her surroundings. A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 10 Summary & Analysis Next Scene 11 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis It is still later that night. The neighbors laugh over the package of bloody meat an obvious sexual symbol which depicts Stanley in the same way as Blanche later describes him to Stella: He is a "survivor of the stone age! His dismissal of Blanches beauty is therefore significant, because it shows that she does not exude his same brand of carnal desire. The difference in their reactions to similar experiences and in their approaches to life suggests that they are not an ideally matched pair. Outside, the men return from bowling and discuss their plans for poker the following evening. Once he has left the room, Blanche remarks that there is something superior to the others in Mitch. He is collecting for the paper. He tries to leave again but Blanche stops him, telling him how handsome he looks and then she walks over and kisses him softly on the lips. A Streetcar Named Desire study guide contains a biography of Tennessee Williams, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Free trial is available to new customers only. Stella agrees that Mitch is polite but claims that Stanley is the only one of them who will get anywhere.. Like the woman in the song, Blanche is now a captive maid, as she has nowhere else to go except Stella and Stanleys, It allows Stanley and Stella to have a conversation about Blanche without her knowing, It symbolizes Blanches desire to cleanse herself, literally and figuratively, The rhinestone tiara could represent Blanche in many ways. Stella and Blanche continue their sisterly chat in the bedroom while the poker game continues. Since his earliest manhood, the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking, Wheres the little woman? and Catch! . Meat!, A gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her, He heaves the package at her Stanley throwing raw meat to Stella. Stella leaves the bathroom, and Blanche impulsively turns the radio back on and begins to dance, slyly engaging the clumsy Mitch and preventing his leaving to go to the bathroom. This is the beginning that sets up the inevitable date they have with each other. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Hence, Black people mingle with white people, and members of different ethnic groups play poker and bowl together. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Struggling with distance learning? Almost immediately, Blanche appears trying to find a certain street number. Blanche kisses the Young Collector. Stanley hollers for Stella, who comes out onto the first-floor landing and replies calmly to his tough, streetwise banter. As they talk Stanley grows increasingly annoyed at Mitchs absence from the game. All of the major themes and elements of A Streetcar Named Desire are introduced as quickly as possible at the top of the play. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. She prefers, instead, the dim, illusionary world of semi-darkness. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. She has just finished composing a letter to Shep Huntleigh pretending that she has been on a round of teas and cocktail parties. After the drink is poured, Blanche asks how Stella has allowed herself to stoop to such poor living conditions. They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off atElysian Fields! bookmarked pages associated with this title. Teachers and parents! Oh, I spy, I spy! Stanley pulls the whiskey bottle out of the closet and notices that it is running low. Eunice and a Black woman are relaxing on the steps of the building when Stanley and his buddy Mitch show up. 20% While conversing with Mitch, she asks him to place a Chinese lampshade on the bare lightbulb in the bedroom, claiming that the naked bulb is rude and vulgar. Bright light, whether from a naked bulb or the midday sun, reveals Blanches true age. The hum of voices in the street can be heard, as well as the bluesy notes of a cheap piano playing in a bar around the corner. At this point in the drama, the scene with the young boy might seem puzzlingly out of place. for a customized plan. This is both meaningful in the present tense and on a deeper thematic level. Which of the following accurately describes Elysian Fields? The Kowalskis live in the downstairs apartment, and Eunice and Steve live upstairs. Dont have an account? Aside from the use of the raw meat, he uses the bowling balls and pins, and the columns of the Belle Reve plantation home as obvious, overt phallic and sexual symbols. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Blanche may be able to hide her alcoholism from devoted Stella, but not from Stanley. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Mitch skips the next hand to go to the bathroom again. Blanche has been drinking steadily since Mitch left. Free trial is available to new customers only. Furthermore, the "center of his life has been pleasure with women." More books than SparkNotes. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. (one code per order). Complete your free account to request a guide. She recounts how she suffered through the agonizingly slow deaths of their parents and relatives, and points the finger at Stella for running off to New Orleans and leaving all familial woes behind. Stanley enters the apartment with Mitch and Steve, all returning from bowling. Stella is quite in love with her husband, however. Please wait while we process your payment. In this way, Stanley and Blanche are like the sun and the moon. I told you already I dont want none of his liquor and I mean it. Stanley takes off his shirt so as to be comfortable and offers Blanche a drink but Blanche says that she rarely touches it. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. At the end, when Stanley leaves, she is trembling and in need of a drink. The section is poor but, unlike . Moths are drawn to artificial light and are known to flitter around. Blanche promises to say no more about it. The "Varsouviana" rises audibly as Blanche enters the. But ironically, in terms of the play, the streetcar leads her to the French Quarter which is certainly no Elysian Fields. This Blanche has been twisting and manipulating truths and lies for a long time, and her method seems at first like it will succeed in her new life as well. Social and class distinctions also point to the tension between interior and exterior. for a customized plan. Stella makes a light effort to defend her present lifestyle, but she mostly lets Blanche do the talking. However, whereas Mitchs experiences have engendered in him a strong sincerity, Blanche seeks refuge in make-believe and insincerityinsincerity that is painfully obvious in her remarks about the sincerity of dying people. Stanley dominates the table with his tough talk, while Mitch, who frets about whether or not he should go home to his sick mother, shows himself to be the most sensitive and sober man at the table. Thus part of the later conflict is that Blanche can never in any sense of the word be his. Wed love to have you back! Stanleys entrance with a package of meat underscores his primitive qualities. When he's away for a week I nearly go wild! Her explanation of how Belle Reve was lost and her recounting her frequent encounters with death serve in some ways to account for Blanche's present neurotic state. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. creating and saving your own notes as you read. After a clatter and crash of furniture, Eunice runs downstairs, screaming that she is going to call the police. But the funny thing about opposites is that they attract. 7_ Parents, Teachers, and Coaches_ Where do Mindsets Come From_.docx. Steve and Eunice live upstairs, and Stanley and Stella live downstairs. Stanley, drunk, hollers at them to be quiet. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! The Varsouviana polka music can be heard from offstage. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. When Stella arrives, Blanche blurts out how awful the apartment is but then tries to laugh off her comment. It is a stark contrast to the, Snobbery: Where were you! alcohol. The men are playing poker in the kitchen, where the atmosphere is raw and lurid again. She is immediately on the defensive as she describes how hard she worked to keep the plantation running, while Stella left to live her own life in New Orleans. she feared for either of them to stop and think. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. The physical attention to inside versus outside also symbolically demonstrates the complicated relationship between what goes on in the mind versus what occurs in real life. At this point Blanche is about ready to faint. A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene 11 Summary & Analysis Next Themes Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis It is several weeks later. Blanche slowly nods. shoulders slightly hunched and her legs pressed close, She springs up and crosses to it, and removes a whiskey bottle. Blanche is in the bath. (Williams notes that the music from this piano is to set the mood throughout the play.) The white is a play on Blanche's supposed innocence and the woods are used as another Freudian phallic symbol. By the end of the first encounter, Blanche is feeling sick. A long string of deaths in the family ate up all the money, while the process of nursing dying loved ones took their toll on Blanche's psyche, and in the end Belle Reve was lost. Blanche insists on powdering her face at the door of the house in anticipation of the male company. Blanche has been visiting now for three months. He takes pride in everything that is his. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! The mix of characters and social elements around Elysian Fields demonstrates the way New Orleans has historically differed from other American cities in the South.
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