English Chapters 1-5
What's happened to Belle Reve? a. How does Blanche use this to make Stella feel guilty? b. What did Blanche experience at Belle Reve after Stella left?
Blanche could no longer pay for it so it was taken from them - Blanche says that she was trying to protect the plantation while stella ran away to new orleans - Blanche had to pay for funerals and lost the property
What is Stanley's suspicion concerning the loss of Belle Reve? a. What is the Napoleonic Code? b. What evidence does he give Stella about his suspicion? Do you agree?
Blanche didn't explain any details about the loss, they don't know if she sold it or it was foreclosed - What belongs to the wife belongs to the husband and vise versa - He pulls out expensive clothes and jewelry that Blanche has and says that if she has all the money for it then the house must've been sold
what does the author mean by "Blanche's appearance seems incongruous to this setting"? what does this suggest about Blanche?
Blanche does not fit in with her surroundings, Stella and Stanley live in a poor area, but Blanche is rich, Blanche not fitting in show that she lives and comes from a different lifestyle
Explain Blanche's statement that she doesn't show how much longer she can "turn the trick."
Blanche doesn't know how much longer she can lie about her age
How is Blanche's understanding of desire different from Stella's?
Blanche doesn't understand stella and why it is more important then her safety
Why does Blanche ask Mitch to place the paper lantern over the light bulb? What does the lantern symbolize, and what does covering the light bulb symbolize?
Blanche doesn't want him to see her, Putting the lantern on will dim the light.
Contrast Blanche and Stella's appearances the morning after the fight. a. How does this reflect their varying attitudes towards Stanley's violence?
Blanche is a nervous reck and Stella is calm and has already forgiven Stanley and is on to the next thing. -Blanche reacts like anyone would (scared) Stella is the one in the toxic relationship so she is unbothered by it
Describe the conversation between the two sisters. How does Blanche treat Stella? Why do you think she does this?
Blanche is rude to stella, She makes fun of her weight, appearance and house, She is critical of her sister because she is insecure about herself
How does Blanche offer to "save" Stella? What is Stella's reaction?
Blanche offers to call up an old rich friend to try to get them away from Stanley
Stella introduces Blanche to Mitch. What is Blanche's immediate reaction to Mitch?
Blanche thinks that he looks superior to the other men and he is sensitive.
How does Stanley show his dominating personality over Stella?
He hits her thigh while his friends are watching.
What does Blanche learn about Stanley before she meets him?
He is polish, a master sergeant in the engineers corps, has a civilian background and he travels, He is unaware that blanche is coming
Describe the conversation Stanley overhears between Blanche and Stella. a. What was Stanley's reaction? b. How does Stella respond when Stanley enters the room? Why?
He overhears them calling him ordinary and a caveman -He walks out and renters so they won't know that he heard them -She is attached to him, she may feel bad about how they were talking about him
What secret does Stanley reveal? Why do you think he did this? a. How does Blanche react to the secret?
He reveals that stella is pregnant, He did this to stop Blanche from flirting with him - She is happy but tells stella she flirted with stanley
How does Blanche react to Stella and Stanley's home? Why does she act this way?
It is small and since they come from so much money, she doesn't believe Stella lives there, She is shocked to see Stella lives somewhere like this because she doesn't know any different
What is Blanche's attitude toward money? Explain.
It thrills her, She is lost without it.
Why does the teenager come to the apartment? a. What happens between Blanche and him? b. What do we learn about Blanche from this encounter?
Newspaper, He is collecting money -She keeps talking and flirting with him every time he goes to leave, kisses him before he leaves -That she has done something like this before, she is having a problem, craves attention and validation from every male
When Blanche comes out of the bathroom, what does she ask of Stanley? a. Why do you think she does this? b. How does Stanley react?
She asks him to button her dress - To show him that shes dominant and wants to show off - He says he cant help her and wont give her a compliment
When Stella arrives home, Blanche tells her to turn off the overhead light. Why does she say this?
She doesn't want Stella to see herself, she is uncomfortable with how she looks
What reason does Blanche give for her arrival in New Orleans?
She is a teacher and was paid early leave before spring break because she was having a nervous breakdown
What news do we find out about Stella? Why do you think she doesn't want Blanche to know?
She is pregnant, She thinks that Blanche will judge or criticize her
How did Stella react to what Stanley did on their wedding night?
She is thrilled from it, she feeds off his destructive attitude.
How had Blanche deceived Mitch?
She lies about her age and why she is here.
What are some of the lies that Blanche tells Mitch?
She says that she's not accustomed to having more than one drink, she says she came to help stella, and she lied about her age.
What happens after Stella calls Stanley a drunk animal? a. How does Blanche react? b. What does Stella decide to do? c. Explain the following quotation, "What's the matter? What's happened?" What does this reveal? d. How does Stanley react when he realizes Stella left him? e. What does Stella decide to do? Why do you think she does this? f. How does Blanche react to this? Why do you think she reacts in this way?
She tells all the men to leave and then Stanley hits her. - She freaks out because stella is pregnant and she's scared for the baby. - She decides to go to Eunice's apartment with Blanche. - Stanley was so blinded by his rage that he doesn't even realize he hit her. - He calls Eunice and when she doesn't answer he calls for Stella. - Stella goes back with Stanley; she can't leave him because she's carrying his baby. - Blanche is confused and scared, she isn't used to the violence.
What does Blanche hope for in a relationship with Mitch?
She wants to run away and get married so that she is not a bother to stella and Stanley anymore
What do we learn about Blanche's love life? What happened?
She was married when she was young, Her husband died
What papers does Stanley find in Stella's trunk? a. What does Blanche say they are? b. What does she say about her husband?
Stanley finds the love letters - She says that they are poems from a dead boy - He hurt her and she hurt him
Why does Stanley throw the radio out the window? How does this affect the others?
Stanley is jealous that Mitch is having a good time dancing with Stella, he is also drunk and yelled at them to turn the radio off.
What do the stage directions on page 29 suggest about Stanley?
Stanley plays around with women and is cocky and arrogant
What does the opening conversation between Stanley and Stella reveal about their characters?
Stella is loving, Stanley is rude and mad at Stella because she is going to dinner and cant cater to him and his friends
How does Stella view her husband Stanley in relation to the other men?
Stella thinks that Stanley is going to be successful and no one else will be.
What has Stanley found out about Blanche's past in Laurel? a. How does Blanche react when confronted with this situation?
That she had the reputation of being crazy and she was put off-limits to men at a nearby base, she was also kicked out of her teaching job -Stanley knows Shaw and Blanche froze when she heard this
Explain the significance of Mitch's silver cigarette case? a. How do this connect with Blanche?
The engraving is from a poem that Blanche loved, and it was given to him by someone he loved and lost. - Blanche also lost someone she loved.
Describe the poker players. How is Mitch different from the other men? a. What does Blanche expect of the poker players when she arrives? b. How does Stanley react?
The men are very masculine and tough. Mitch is kinder than all the others, his mother is sick and he cares for her. - She expected them to stand up for her like the men would where she was from. - he asks her what she's waiting for
When Stanley, Mitch, and Steve return from bowling, what do they agree to do the next day?
They plan to play poker at Stanley's house
What does Blanche's letter to Shep Huntleigh reveal about her?
This reveled that Blanche is a liar and try's to make people believe an image of her that isn't real
What do the comments made by Mitch, at the end of the scene, tell us about the relationship of Stanley and Stella?
This shows that this happens often to them.
How is Blanche's drinking problem introduced?
When she first gets to the house she has a drink and then when Stella comes home she has another
What do the stage directions reveal about Stanley and Stella
shows that the relationship they have is based off of lust
What is Belle Reeve?
the plantation Blanche and Stella's family owns