Blanche Dubois Flashcards
(4 cards)
‘I thought you would never come back to this horrible place” pg6
Blanche’s reunion with Stella seeks to highlight their manifold differences. While Stella has adapted to the modern world, in which their once aristocratic way of life has faded and become an anachronism, Blanche remains tied to their past which is anchored in BR, itself a symbol of a lost America. This disconnect is manifested in blanche’s repeated snobbery as she both covertly and overtly belittle Stella’s chosen lifestyle. She fails to see the pragmatism that her sister has embraced, rather holding on to fantasy of her old home and way of life. This serves to alienate herself from Stella, driving a wedge between them and sending the latter even further into the controlling and abusive grasp of Stanley
‘Well, Stella’ pg11
Blanche consistently risks distancing herself from Stella thanks to her acrimonious [harsh] comments over who is to blame for the demise of their family home. The loss of belle reve, a consequence of financial mismanagement and extreme debt, is an sig factor in Blanche’s removal to New Orleans. It also functioned as the bedrock of b’s identity and legitimised all of the opinions she has about herself. Without it, she experiences an existential crisis that becomes a theme of the play.
Stella= toed to Stanley, a rough yet undeniably alpha male who controls every aspect of her life. A large part of b’s judgement of Stella is jealousy over the apparent stability she is offered by her marriage, even if b is put off by Stanley’s low background.
‘You haven’t said a word about my appearance’pg 8
Insecurities. Blanche’s trademark vanity is one of the first attributes the audience is made aware of. Blanche derives all of her self-worth from the physical impression she makes upon those she meets, especially men n she carefully tries to cultivate the illusion of youth and beauty to attract them to her. Blanche’s hunger for affirmation over her looks conveys the extreme anxiety that they cause her. Her understanding of the world requires her to be a beautiful prize to be won by a Fairytale prince. This is largely why she appears utterly ‘incongruous’ in the sweaty realism of New Orleans. This desire to escape exposure extents to all aspects of the carefully cultivated fantasy that she has concocted to detract from the grim realities of her failing life.
