ideas - by ingram Flashcards

1
Q

why is it suggested blanche bathes so much

A

guilt and self-loathing - wants to cleanse herself of past mistakes

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2
Q

what does the polka remind us

A

blanche is haunted by tragic memories - it reinforces her mental fragility

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3
Q

what happened in the first screening of the play

A

audience cheered when stanley carried blanche away to rape her - shows gender-based double standards that destroy blanche were still very much present

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4
Q

what was happening between north and south

A

tensions - the south was in decline

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5
Q

what did stella and stanleys marriage demonstrate

A

stella as wealthy landowning dubois family marries stanely a working class man - demonstrates the extent to which the social fabric in america has been altered by 1947

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6
Q

what is blanche personification of

A

the old south

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7
Q

what is stanley embodiment of

A

industrial new america

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8
Q

what does stanley and blanches conflict represent

A

the conflict between the dying past and the emerging future

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9
Q

what does stanleys victory over blanche suggest

A

for better or for worse the old south is now a relic of the past

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10
Q

what does the new kowalski baby show

A

these two ways of life have merged together

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11
Q

what does belle reve mean in french

A

beautiful dream

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12
Q

what could the name belle reve/beautiful dream show

A

nostalgia, mourning the loss of a ‘beautiful’ past

or implying like a ‘dream’ this beauty was only illusory and never really existed at all

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13
Q

what happened to williams sister

A

institutionalised for much her life and had a lobotamy

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14
Q

what was williams plagued by guilt for

A

his sister never recovered from her lobotomy - is stellas cruel behaviour to her sister an expression of williams own guilt

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15
Q

what was illegal for most of williams life

A

homosexuality - he loathed himself for his homosexuality

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16
Q

what is blanche a sort of ‘cover’ for

A

a homosexual given a female mask to avoid having to confront his own feelings about himself

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17
Q

what aspects of blanche link to williams

A
  • mocked by stanley for her effeminate behaviour just as he was mocked by his father who called him “miss nancy”
  • forced to liw about herself to everyone in order to survive
18
Q

what were four other possible titles for the play

A

the poker night
the primary colours
the moth
blanches chair in the moon

19
Q

what does the possible title the moth show

A

fatal attraction - drawn to a bulb - her desire leads to her ruin

20
Q

what does blanches chair in the moon show

A

blanches delusion

21
Q

what is interesting about blanche and the final title

A

replaces her with a metaphor for desire - disempowers her
shows the force that will destroy her

22
Q

what do the plays have in common

A

female protagonists who are victims of male oppression and abuse

23
Q

what does mitch do that shows double standards

A

tells blanche she is “not clean enough” to be his wife and then attempts to rape her

24
Q

what does stanley do thats contradictin

A

berates blanche and stella for behaving like a “pair of queens” before declaring he is “the king around here”

25
Q

what is a streetcar named desire a symbol for (blanche)

A

her power - she is a passenger being driven by forces which seem beyond her contril

26
Q

what does looking to men to solve her problems do to blanche

A

deepens her suffering

27
Q

how are stella and julia alike

A

place themselves at the mercy of their respective partners

28
Q

what is a key characteristic of stanleys masculinity

A

aggression

29
Q

what is said about men in streetcar

A

not a single man who we can look to for a truly positive embodiment of masculinity

30
Q

what do the men that ferdinand/cardinal and stanley do

A

little to nothing to prevent the cruelty and violence of the antagonist

31
Q

what is interesting about blanche and the duchess’ costume

A

used to decieve
blanche = white to feign purity
duchess = loose bodied gown to conceal pregnancy

32
Q

what is significance of blanches trunk “hang[ing] open with flowery dresses thrown across it”

A

her promiscuous past has been fully exposed

33
Q

what was williams afraid of - reflected in blanche

A

fear of death - reflect williams own anxiety

34
Q

what do blanche and ferdinand have in common

A

mourn the death of a loved one in which they bear guilt and responsability for

35
Q

what does blanches mental decline serve to reveal

A

how wholly she has been destroyed by her abusers who have invaded her mind aswell as body

36
Q

what do plays sugest about cruelty and violence

A

they are commonplace and inescapable - madness will inevitably manifest itself in some form

37
Q

what is the quote “these fingernails have to be trimmed” show

A

blanche stripped of all autonomy, akin to an animal

38
Q

how are psychological attacks launched in both plays

A

gift
dom = a coffin to duchess
snd = ticket back laurel

39
Q

what can be said about blanches delusion/maddness

A

she doesnt initially believe them she knows shes invented them - the misery of her life leads her to believing her own lies

40
Q

what is depressing about banches one tool to alleviate suffering

A

the abilitity to manipulate the truth - ends up destroying her mind

41
Q

what could be said about characters in both plays and their values

A

sexual passion valued more than familial love