A02

Question 1

What does the Blue piano represent?

Answer 1

New Orleans, intermingling, only to a certain extent, blues music is limited.

Question 2

What does the Varsouviana represent?

Answer 2

Causes Blanche distress, it reminds her of the song that was on when her husband kills himself. We can hear what is going on in her head.

Question 3

Blanche on her relationship with Allan Grey

Answer 3

All at once and much, much too completely. It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow.

Question 4

How does Blanche acknowledge the danger of her facade?

Answer 4

Candles aren’t safe, they burn out in little boys and girls’ eyes, or wind blows them out, and after that, electric lightbulb come one and you see too plainly.

Question 5

What song does Blanche sing in the bath

Answer 5

Say it’s only a paper moon, sailing over a cardboard sea

Question 6

What possession of Blanche represents the old aristocracy?

Answer 6

‘These are love letters, fading with antiquity.’

Question 7

What is Blanche wearing at the beginning of the Play?

What is she wearing at the beginning of the rape scene?

Answer 7

‘White suit with a fluffy bodice.’

‘Crumpled white satin evening gown and a pair of scuffed silver slippers.’

Question 8

How does Blanche describe her previous actions?

Answer 8

Yes, I had many intimacies with strangers. After the death of Allan the intimacies were all I was able to fill my heart with.

Question 9

What does Stella say about her relationship with Stanley?

Answer 9

But there are things that happen between a man and woman in the dark that sort of make everything else seem unimportant.

Question 10

What dramatic medium does Williams use to give Blanche and what is the effect?

Answer 10

Several monologues, which means there is more vividness to her character and history, to allow the audience to sympathise with her.

Question 11

What is a Hamartia?

Answer 11

A fatal flaw.

Question 12

What is Pathos?

Answer 12

A character’s ability to compel the audience and evoke pity and sympathy.

Question 13

In scene 1 what is Stanley holding? What does he say?

Answer 13

‘A red stained packet from a butchers.’
‘Catch!’
‘Meat!’

Question 14

In Scene 3 how is the setting described?

Answer 14

‘There is a picture of Van Gogh’s Billiard parlour at night. The poker players wear coloured shirts […] Peak of their physical manhoods […] Powerful as the primary colours

Question 15

What does Blanche say of her blue jacket in Scene 11?

Answer 15

‘You’re both mistaken, it’s Della Robbia blue. The blue of the robe in the old Madonna pictures.

Question 16

SCENE SIX, BLANCHE AND MITCH DIALOGUE - Blanche’s escapism with Mitch

Answer 16

Blanche: We are going to pretend that we are sitting in a little artists’ cafe on the Left Bank in Paris! Je suis la Dame aux Camellias! Vous etes - Armand!

Question 17

SCENE EIGHT, STANLEY AND BLANCHE DIALOGUE - Stanley on his national identity

Answer 17

Stanley: I am not a Polack. People from Poland are Poles, not Polacks. But what I am is a one hundred per cent American.

Question 18

SCENE EIGHT, STANLEY AND STELLA DIALOGUE - Stanley on Stella’s class

Answer 18

Stanley: I was common as dirt. You showed me the snapshot of the place with the columns. I pulled you down off them columns and how you loved it

Question 19

What is a fancy word for stage directions?

Answer 19

Didascalie

Question 20

What sort of playis Streetcaar?

Answer 20

‘kitchen sink drama’ the micro cosm of a community is symbolic of a wider society.

Question 21

What biblical reference does Blanche make?

Answer 21

‘The blind are leading the blind.’

Question 22

What does Blanche say that hints at the idea of eugenics?

Answer 22

‘Maybe he’s what we need to mix with our blood now that we’ve lost Belle Reve.’

Question 23

whcih quote reflects that Blanche’s past liaisons were just a way of assuring her existence?

Answer 23

‘people don’t see you- men don’t even acknowledge your existence unless they’re making love to you.’