blanche dubois quotes + analysis Flashcards
(15 cards)
1
Q
“after all, a womans charm is fifty percent illusion”
A
- scene 2, desire
- reveals her belief in the performative nature of femininity, she views a womans charm as something that is constructed rather than inherent, aligning with the notion that women are often expected to present a certain image of themselves to the world
- blanche is constantly trying to maintain an illusion of youth, beauty and wealth even though these qualities are slipping away from her
- the idea of illusion reflects her attempt to mask the reality of her aging, troubled past and her fear of being exposed as vulnerable or attractive
- indicates her need to deceive others and herself in order to survive in a world that values women primarily for their appearance and social standing
- Blanche having grown up in times when womens value was largely tied to their beauty and charm, feels compelled to mask the realities of her life, such as her aging, her failed marriage and her sexual trauma by creating an illusion of elegance and desirability
2
Q
“oh, I guess he’s just not the type that goes for jasmine perfume, but maybe he’s what we need to mix with our blood now that we’ve lost belle reve.”
A
- scene 2, reality vs illusion and desire
- when Stella returns home, Blanche tells her that she and Stanley have discussed the matter of Belle Reve and their family’s finances, and that they’ve settled things out
- to Stella, Blanche describes her conversation with Stanley lightly, assuring her that everything is fine
- the line “hes not the type that goes for jasmine perfume” also highlights a disconnect between blanche and stanley
- jasmine perfume can be seen as a metaphor for blanches idealized version of femininity, which stanley, a man of lower social status and more grounded instincts would never fully appreciate
- jasmines fragility mirrors blanches own vulnerability. Jasmine is a delicate flower, requiring specific conditions to thrive; just as blanche needs certain conditions (comfort,beauty, social approval) to maintain her fragile persona
3
Q
“Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go? I let the place go? Where were you! In bed with your-Polack!”
A
- scene 1, class
- blanche lashes out against Stella for choosing to leave the family estate of Belle Reve for a lower-class lifestyle
- From Blanche’s perspective, Stella appears to have rejected the family’s aristocratic background in favor of a marriage to a man that she sexually desires
- blanche cannot face her own guilt over letting Belle Reve collapse into both social and financial ruin.
Instead, she makes herself feel morally superior by blaming Stella rather than herself - blanches confrontation with stanley highlights the tension between her upper class background and his working class status
- her attack on stanleys ethnicity is a means of destablizing his percieved dominance, reflecting blanches constant struggle for control and respect
- in this era, many americans were still clinging to outdated social hierachies which were beginning to be challenged by the post war shift in gender roles and labor structures
Blanches harsh words reflect her internalized class prejudices as well as her growing desperation
4
Q
“I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action”
A
- scene 3, illusion vs reality
- Blanches comparison of the naked light bulb to crude remarks or actions reveals her aversion to anything that strips away the illusion she has carefully crafted around herself
- the light bulb is bare, exposing everything in its harsh, unforgiving glare, much like the truth she refuses to confront
- for blanche, the soft dim lighting she prefers acts as a shield concealing both the physical and emotional decay she tries to hide from others and even herself
- also reveals blanches fragile psyche, which seeks to maintain control over her surroundings in order to avoid emotional exposure, indicating that her desire for appearance over authenticity extends beyond just physical settings and into her interactions with people.
5
Q
‘I think I will bathe.’
A
- scene 3, symbolism
- This serves as a symbolic gesture that reflects Blanche’s ongoing attempts to cleanse herself of her past and present turmoil.
-The act of bathing suggests a desire for purification and renewal, mirroring her quest to wash away the stains of her past mistakes and hardships. - This line also highlights her inclination to create an air of refinement and gentility, even in the midst of her chaotic surroundings.
- Blanche’s need for cleanliness and order contrasts with the gritty and tumultuous environment of the Kowalski household, emphasising her struggle to maintain her veneer of sophistication.
- This simple yet loaded statement offers a glimpse into Blanche’s internal state, as she grapples with her past, seeks to present herself in a particular light, and navigates the challenges that confront her in the present.
6
Q
‘There’s so much–so much confusion in the world…’
A
- scene 3, loneliness
- The repetition of “so much” underscores her overwhelming sense of the complexities and challenges that exist in the world around her.
- This line captures Blanche’s tendency to seek refuge in her illusions and fantasies as a way of escaping the harsh realities she faces. Her words also suggest a longing for simplicity and clarity, contrasting with the tangled web of secrets, lies, and inner turmoil she experiences.
- Blanche’s acknowledgement of the confusion in the world reflects her struggle to navigate her own emotions and the external forces that threaten to unravel her carefully constructed facade.
- This moment underscores her vulnerability and the fragility of her mental state as she grapples with the complexities of her past and present circumstances.
7
Q
‘everything I own is in that trunk’
A
- scene 2, reality vs illusion
- Blanche’s trunk contains objects from her past and her entire life
-despite wanting a fresh start, Blanche is very possessive over it
-symbol of both the good and bad moments in her past
-fake artefacts inside are a symbol of Blanche’s pretense and her real lost home and love that haunts her - facade is slipping
8
Q
‘I don’t want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes magic!
A
- scene 9, illusion vs reality, truth + lies
-Blanche’s admission of her deciet
-tone expresses her lack of malice in her decietfulness
-childish nature to her mischief-trauma and immaturity, naiivity
-juxtapositon in Blanche’s ideas of realism and magic, irony in her belief that she is right in telling lies
9
Q
‘You didn’t know Blanche as a girl. nobody, nobody was tender and trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, and forced her to change”
A
- scene 8, femininity
- we are presented with Blanche at the end of her gradual mental breakdown
-suggests an innocence once existed within Blanche that was slowly buried over the years
-Stella acts as a credible source for Blanche’s character before she was traumatised by her husband’s death
-repetition of nobody shows an insistance that Blanche was once ender, trusting and pure as her name suggests
-Stella’s people like you refers to Stanley, but also could reflect the brutality of the new world. Shows a surprising contempt for her husband - highlights Stella’s recognition of the damage inflicted upon Blanche and her attempt to appeal to Stanley’s conscience, though ultimately, her efforts are futile.
10
Q
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”
A
- scene 11, illusion vs reality
- last line drips with irony
-Blanche has many a time depended on this kindness but was left abused, battered and discarded
-state of her on her arrival in Elysian Fields is a testement to this
-still hopeful, still clings to the prospect of kindness something we haven’t seen in the play
11
Q
‘Yes, I had many intimacies with strangers. After the death of Allan - intimacies with strangers was all i seemed able to fill my empty heart with.’
A
- scene 9, loneliness
-only other time kindness of strangers is mentioned
-dependency is triggered with the death of her husband
-indulged with intimacies with strangers to find “protection” and fill the sense of emptyness she was left with
-glaringly obvious that these strangers were only kind to her because they were offered sex
-everyone is a stranger to Blanche, but Stella, and she is denied sympathy from everyone like the people who exhiled her from Laurel - attempts to explain the emotional devastation that led to her downfall.
12
Q
‘I can smell the sea air. The rest of my time I’m going to spend on the sea.’[The cathedral chimes are heard]
A
- scene 11, desire
-Blanche’s reality is destructive to her, sinks back into her coping mechanis,
-foreshadow her immediate furture
-metaphorical death of her charcater
-even in her final allusion, Blanche reflects her obsession with death, young men, and Allan
-sea could be a symbol of freedom, characterised by it’s openess juxtaposed to the apartment, the hotel rooms she was trapped in
-Blanche’s obsession with death interwoven with sex,
-stage directions of chiming of church bells can also be read as an extension of this interpretation
-bells rung for weddings, funerals and to ward off evil, could symbolise her new beginning or her end - Blanche’s monologue around death. Context link to Hart Crane but also a continuation of the bathing motif. The ocean = the ultimate bath, ensuring she will be eternally clean.
- The white sack creates the idea of innocence and purity and will ensure that she will remain this way forever in death.
13
Q
“When I was sixteen, I made the discovery - love.”
A
- scene 6,
- Blanches’ understanding and metaphor of love as a blinding light that entered her otherwise dim light
-not necessarily a positive associated due to the semantic field of negative words
-uncomfortable for the eye
-this reflects how the love she felt for Allan ended in a violent tragedy
-while it usually has positive associations and symbolises truth, Williams twists this idea of light - -the harsh reality of the world, the light, forces Blanche into a world of fantasies/delusions
14
Q
[Stanley “seizes the paper lantern, tearing it off the lightbulb, and extends it towards her. She cries out as if the light bulb was herself”
A
- scene 11,
- his last action by Stanley emphasizes his victory over Blanche. Stanley, symbolizing the new era of the harsh truth, tears the lantern, implying that Blanche is finally stripped from her dreams and she is left exposed to the harsh reality
- Stanley extends the ripped paper lantern to her, giving back her shattered dreams.
15
Q
‘her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light.’
A
- scene 1, illusion vs reality
- Foreshadows her failure in the play as her delicate nature appears to not be durable to the roughness and reality that is represented by the strong light
- Her need to avoid it also suggests that she is unwilling to accept the truth of the reality she lives in and prefers the beautiful dreams that she is able to create in the dark.
