Blanche Flashcards
Quotes (21 cards)
“[Her appearance is incongruous to this setting.]” - Stage Direction
- Blanche being “incongruous” with Elysian Fields shows how, right from the start, she doesn’t belong there.
- It shows the beginning of her trying to find a way to fit into the life Stella has created for herself.
“[…pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down.]” - Stage Direction
- This quote disproves Blanche’s claims later in the scene, as well as throughout the entire play, that she doesn’t drink often.
- “Tosses it down” shows how she has become comfortable with drinking hard liquor without it having much of an effect on her, which indicates what is later revealed to be Blanche’s alcohol problems.
“Death is expensive, Miss Stella.” - Blanche
- The use of “Miss Stella” is both condescending towards Stella, belittling her as she is no longer “Miss Stella,” she is in fact Mrs Stanley Kowalski, as well as displaying the norms of the typical southern charm that Blanche drags along with her.
“No I, - I rarely touch it.” - Blanche
- Blanche’s active lying about her alcoholism can be connected to the stage direction [pours a half a tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down].
- She’s contradicting herself and hiding her breakdown from her sister, but creating a sense of dramatic irony for the audience, as we know the truth behind it.
“I hurt him the way you would like to hurt me, but you can’t!” - Blanche
- Shows Blanche’s emotional trauma and inner turmoil, her breakdown becoming a clearer path for her to be walking down as the play goes on.
“The touch of your hands insults them!” - Blanche
- Emphasis on her obsession with class and how she uses her appearance with the help of possessions to emphasise this facade of southern gentility.
- Highlights the clash between the Old South (Blanche) and the New South (Stanley).
“I have old-fashioned ideals.” - Blanche
- Demonstrates Blanche’s hypocrisy and delusion.
- She insists on propriety even while she behaves suggestively.
“I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action.” - Blanche
- Blanche’s desire to cover up the harsh reality, metaphorically and literally.
- “A rude remark or vulgar action” and Blanche’s inability to stand them is an example of her lying about her past, her promiscuity denies all of this.
- She uses the dark to protect herself from the spotlight of the world.
“That one seems - superior to the others.” Blanche
- Shows Blanche’s need to have a man be there for an emotional and romantic relationship.
- The starting point of her relationship with Mitch.
“Please don’t get up.” - Blanche
-Blanche says this during the poker game, the ultimate contrast between Stanley’s world and Blanche’s world.
-Highlights her ‘Southern Belle’ persona due to her need for traditional southern values which are not met by Stanley and his friends.
“What you are talking about is brutal desire - just - Desire!” - Blanche
- Blanche criticises Stella’s marriage as being based on an animalistic desire for a sexual relationship.
- It is ironic, considering Blanche’s past behaviours involving men.
“He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits!” - Blanche
- A metaphor enhancing the theme of civilisation vs savagery.
- Blanche’s feeling of superiority over Stanley due to his animalistic nature and her nature as a ‘conforming’ member of society.
- Explores social class and Blanche’s flawed view of the world.
“I need kindness now.” - Blanche
- Foreshadows her final line in scene 11.
- Encapsulates Blanche’s tragic vulnerability.
- It’s is poignient and revealing as it comes from a place of reality in her heart, not from the theatrical performative side of her.
“A woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion.” - Blanche
- Emphasises the repetitive beliefs Blanche grew up with as a child in the world of the southern belles.
- Her feeling for the need to look perfect and act perfect, and be the epitome of desirable and perfection at once, is what leads to her downfall.
“I’ve got to be good and keep my hands off children.” - Blanche
- Quite a disturbing line, which displays Blanche’s history of sexual misconduct.
- Suggests that her fragility masks more troubling and possibly criminal behaviours.
- Her pure desire for a man in her life leads her to make terrible choices, such as sleeping with those who aren’t yet adults.
“The opposite of death is desire.” - Blanche
- Connects desire to survival.
- She uses this as a way to justify her behaviour, using desire and sex as a means of escape from the reality of her grief-stricken world.
“It’s a Barnum and Bailey world.” - Blanche
- The irony of Blanche singing is that she is almost like a circus performer.
- The phrase reflects how she constructs her alternative reality to fit what she wants in her life.
“I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth.” - Blanche
- Blanche consciously crafts these illusions to make them into what she wishes her life was/had become.
“Intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with.” - Blanche
- Her confession reveals her emotional trauma, grief and need for affection.
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” - Blanche
- Her final line, both iconic and tragic.
- Shows the epitome of her dramatic and quick fall (spiral) from grace.
- She’s fallen so far, she can’t rely on those who are supposed to care for her for help anymore, only strangers.
- Can also be taken as “kindness of strangers”, being a metaphor for sex.
“[She allows him to lead her as if she were blind… She has a look of sorrowful dignity… She walks on without turning.]” - Stage Directions
- Poignancy of Blanche’s final surrender.
- “Blind” symbolises her disconnect from reality.
- “Sorrowful dignity” highlights the tragic grandure that Williams gives her.
