Study Guide for -- A Streetcar Named Desire

Scene 9. What music is being played? What is important to note about this piece of music?

"Varsouviana" - it is the music that was playing when Allan shot himself

Scene 11. What music is heard upon the doctor's arrival?

"Varsouviana" -- the polka music playing when Allan shot himself

Scene 10. Why does Stanley take out his silk pajamas?

(they're from his wedding night) it's a "red letter night" since he's having a baby so he takes them out because it's a special occasion

Scene 8. Why does Stanley want Blanche to leave?

1) Blanche has proved to be a threat to his marriage 2) he is tired of being referred to as vulgar and common 3) he can not tolerate illusion or make believe - he is the realist and must have his "cards on the table"

Scene 2. There are two times in this scene where Stanley refuses to let a woman tell him what to do. Describe these two events.

1) Stella tells him to come outside while Blanche is dressing - he refuses 2) Blanche tells him not to look at her love letters - he does anyways

Scene 5. What are two lies that Blanche includes in her letter to Shep?

1) she's spending the summer on a whim 2) she'll travel over to Dallas

Scene 11. There are two religious symbols in this scene: the color of the dress worn by Blanche (same color of the dress the Madonna wore) and the chiming of cathedral bells. What do these two symbols represent?

1) the symbol of the color of her dress (same as that of which Madonna wore) represents how Blanche is covering herself in this color because it represents the purest being, the Virgin Mary 2) the chiming of the cathedral bells is a symbol because as Blanche says when they start chiming, "they're the only clean thing in the Quarter", so this represents how any pure or innocent part of her is no longer there she is extremely broken and has been taken advantage of — she has now realized that everything around her is impure and "dirty"

Scene 1. Blanche has a drinking problem. Give two examples from Scene One that hint of this problem.

1) when Stella hasn't arrived yet, she finds the bottle of whiskey and immediately drinks some 2) when Stella arrives, she fumbles around looking for the whiskey like she doesn't know where it is -- says she never has more than one drink

Scene 3. What three lies does Blanche tell Mitch?

1) why she is visiting Stella 2) her age 3) how much she drinks

Scene 2. Stella tells Stanley to come outside while Blanche is dressing, and Blanche sends Stella off to get a lemon-coke for her. Why?

Blanche doesn't think Stella understands Stanley like she does, and they need to have a conversation

Scene 7. What event is being celebrated at the beginning of this scene? What is ironic about it?

Blanche's birthday; she has been there for a very long time

Scene 1. What are the names of the streetcars Blanche was told to take in order to get to Stella's home?

Desire; Cemeteries

Scene 3. Who does Blanche meet when she emerges from the bathroom? What is she wearing?

Mitch; she is wearing all white -- trying to deceive everyone that she is innocent and pure (clinging to her innocence)

Scene 1. When Stella arrives home, Blanche tells her to turn off the overhead light. Why?

She doesn't want to be looked at in the "merciless glare"

Scene 4. Who does Blanche think will "rescue" her and Stella?

Shep Huntleigh; he is a millionare from Dallas

Scene 3. Stanley gets mad and throws the radio out the window. Stella shouts at him. What happens next?

Stanley charges at Stella

Scene 11. The scene opens on another poker night. How has Stanley's luck changed? How is this game symbolic?

Stanley is now winning this game; contrary to the bad luck he had in scene 3; this game is symbolic because it shows how the guys don't care about anyone else and that life is a game of luck, in the hands of strong men

Scene 10. What is the climactic event that takes place at the end of the scene and resolves the power struggle between Blanche and Stanley?

Stanley rapes Blanche - it shows his use of violence in almost any situation

Scene 11. Who tears the paper lantern? What does this symbolize?

Stanley; it symbolizes his use of violence in every part of his life

Scene 8. What momentous event occurs at the end of Scene 8?

Stella's water broke - she is going into labor

Who is the author? (Yes, this is on the exam)

Tennessee Williams

Scene 5. What is Blanche's astrological sign? Why does Stanley laugh upon learning this?

Virgo; she doesn't act anything like that - not pure

Scene 10. When does Scene Ten begin? What is Blanche's condition at the beginning of the scene?

a few hours later that night; she's even more drunk than before - she's packing her stuff up and continues to drink

Scene 3. Who gave Mitch the cigarette case?

a girl he was in love with; she died

Scene 1. What does Stanley do that is "common" when he first meets Blanche?

asks where she's from, makes himself comfortable, gets a drink

Scene 2. Why is Stella taking Blanche out for the evening? How does Stanley react?

because it is poker night; he wonders what he is going to do for dinner then if his wife isn't there to cook for him

Scene 3. Why won't Stanley let Blanche stay and "kibitz" with the men?

because she is a woman

Scene 9. Is Mitch upset because of Blanche's past or because she lied to him?

because she lied to him

Scene 6. How does Blanche try to set the mood with Mitch?

by laughing, making him comfortable, drinking, *starts talking and setting the scene as if they're in France

Scene 9. What time of day is it when this scene opens? What is Blanche doing?

evening; she is drinking and sitting on a chair with a robe on

Scene 7. What are Stanley's plans for Blanche?

he bought her a bus ticket for Tuesday

Scene 7. Stanley tells Mitch about Stella's past. Why?

he didn't want his best friend "caught-up with her" - doesn't believe that a relationship between the two of them could ever work because of her past

Scene 1. What happened to Blanche's husband?

he died -- very young (this is all we know at this point in the play)

Scene 1. Tennessee Williams uses stage directions for characterizations. How does Williams describe Stanley?

he is medium height, around 5'8" or 5'9", strong and built compactly, shows animal joy, the center of his life is pleasure with women; loves materialistic things and time with friends

Scene 1. Describe Stanley. What does the package he is carrying contain? What does this reveal about him?

he is very animal-like; very loud and outgoing; the package he is carrying is a meat package; this reveals the type of relationship he has with Stella - based solely on physical desire

Scene 3. How does Mitch compare to the other men at the poker game?

he isn't excited to play; his mom is home sick

Scene 4. What does Stella tell Blanche about her and Stanley's wedding night?

he snatched off one of her slippers and rushed about the place smashing the light bulbs with it

Scene 11. How does Mitch respond when he hears Blanche's voice?

he stops completely in any motion -- he freezes

Scene 9. Why does Mitch embrace Blanche?

he wants "what he had been missing all summer"

Scene 9. Mitch arrives at the door drunk and in a cruel temper. Why does he destroy the paper lantern? How is his action symbolic?

he wants to see her in the light; it removes the "barrier" she has put up

Scene 1. How does Stella feel towards her husband, Stanley?

he's a different species; she can't describe him; misses him terribly when he's away for work

Scene 10. What is Stanley's condition when he returns home?

he's drunk

Scene 2. How does Stanley react when he discovers Belle Reve is lost?

he's very concerned

Scene 8. What does Stella say that angers Stanley?

his fingers were disgustingly greasy

Scene 6. Why does Mitch want to know Blanche's age?

his mother wanted to know; he was telling her about him (she wants to see him settled down before she passes)

Scene 3. What does Stanley do to Stella that shocks Blanche?

hits her on her thigh

Scene 1. What happened to Belle Reve, the family plantation?

it has been "lost"

Scene 3. How is the paper lantern symbolic and what does covering the light bulb symbolize?

it is a "covering"; hiding the truth

Scene 3. Describe Stella's return to Stanley. Why is Blanche so shocked?

it is a very romantic (almost animal like) return; she's terrified about the fact that she went back to Stanley with all the violence

Scene 6. How does this incident in her past (the loss of Allan) affect her present life?

it shows why she is so shaken up and anxious all the time

Scene 2. What does Stanley conclude about the loss of Belle Reve?

it was a loss on the mortgage

Scene 7. What is ironic about the song Blanche is singing in the bathtub?

it's all about a make-believe world and she's singing this while realistic Stanley is coming into the picture ready to make his case against Blanche

Scene 4. What is Blanche's opinion of desire?

it's the opposite of death

Scene 5. What is the purpose of Mitch's appearance at the end of the scene? (How does it compare with Blanche's interaction with the delivery boy?)

it's very formal compared to her interaction with the delivery boy; she acts differently (almost like flipping a switch inside)

Scene 5. Who does Blanche do with/to the young delivery boy? What might this imply about Blanche's past?

kisses him; she has acted that way for short periods of time with a lot of men

Scene 6. How does Blanche react when Mitch asks to kiss her? Why is this ironic?

she asks why he is so doubtful; she just kissed someone randomly

Scene 5. What does it mean when Blanche says she doesn't know how much longer she can turn "the trick"?

she doesn't know how much longer she is going to be able to act in a way that men will like her

Scene 11. How has Stella deluded herself?

she has convinced herself that the story Blanche told her about Stanley could not in anyway be the truth

Scene 1. Describe Stella, Stanley's wife.

she is a gentle young woman trying to re-define herself in her new married life

Scene 1. Describe Blanche.

she is five years older than Stella; has delicate beauty; very uncertain; very upfront and flirtacious

Scene 3. Blanche explains the meaning of her name as "White woods". How is this ironic and symbolic?

she is not pure (like the color white symbolizes) and 'wood' suggests something solid and hard, which is the exact opposite of her fragile nature and nervous condition. However, wood can also be associated with forest or jungle, and regarding her past, the connection becomes clear.

Scene 7. When Stanley arrives home what news does he divulge about why Blanche lost her teaching job?

she messed around with a 17 year-old boy from her school

Scene 9. The flower vendor is a symbolic harbinger of death. Later in this scene, Blanche recalls a death scene and tells Mitch that the opposite of death is desire. Why does she say this? (OPTIONAL. BONUS).

she says this because if you don't die you want things (you desire more) to make you feel better

Scene 6. Why - and what -- does Blanche tell Mitch about her past?

she tells him about the boy she loved that died; she's trying to relate to losing someone she loved just like he had

Scene 9. What is ironic about Blanch saying she stayed at "The Tarantula Arms"? (OPTIONAL. BONUS QUESTION).

she was like a tarantula taking in men as her victims

Scene 1. According to Blanche, why did she leave her teaching job mid-term?

she was on the verge of lunacy and her school superintendent suggested her to take a leave of absence

Scene 5. What does Stanley learn about Blanche's past in Laurel?

she went to the hotel Flamingo

Scene 2. At the beginning of this scene, Blanche is taking a bath. What is symbolic about this?

she's "cleaning" herself of impurities and the past

Scene 10. What elements contribute to this being a tense night for Blanche?

she's been told to leave; her sister is in labor; she has lost Mitch

Scene 5. Why is Blanche nervous about her date with Mitch?

she's scared that she isn't giving him enough; or that he knows rumors; she also wants him to respect her

Scene 11. What is Blanche's condition? What action has Stella taken in regard to Blanche?

she's very sad and reserved; Stella has set Blanche up to transfer into a mental hospital

Scene 2. In what way does Blanche flirt with Stanley?

sprays him with her perfume

Scene 10. What lies does Blanche tell Stanley about her and Mitch?

that he came back with roses begging for forgiveness and that she in return said thank you and farewell

Scene 1. What is the mood created in the opening scene?

the scene is full of hustle and bustle, but there is also a sense of comfort

Scene 6. How does Mitch respond to Blanche's secret?

they both need someone - it could be just the two of them

Scene 2. What does the appearance of the tamale vendor ("Red Hot!") suggest at the end of this scene?

things are about to get a little more crazy