CHARACTERS Flashcards
(6 cards)
1
Q
BLANCHE
A
- Southern Belle: part of the aristocracy, family who owned a plantation (Belle Reve), married young, cultured in education -> english teacher
- Seductive as maniplation tactic: bends the truth to fit her narrative as a way to protect herself and cling to her delusions, pathological liar to the extent even she is convinced by her lies in the end, seeks attention through her flirtations and desire for compliments of reassurance
- Fragile insecurity: obsessive over her looks, goes so far as to lie about her age,emotionally and mentally fragile due to the traumas of her life (loss of Belle Reve, violent suicide of her young homosexual husband Allan Gray)
2
Q
STANLEY
A
- Embodiment of working class: proud of his work in what he does, attempts to see
3
Q
STELLA
A
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4
Q
MITCH
A
-
5
Q
ALLAN GRAY/ NEWSPAPER BOY
A
- Despite not visibly shown, Allan’s presence is the driving force of the play through his haunting of the narrative, and of Blanche -> whenever she is stressed or reminded of him, she hears the gunshot and Varsouviana Polka (the sounds around them when Allan shot himself)
- Considered to be an embodiment of Williams’ own insecurity surrounding his homosexuality in an unaccepting society (suicide as an escape)
- The Newspaper Boy, as well as the seventeen year old student Blanche slept with, serve as a reminder of her young late husband: due to the guilt Blanche experiences, she sees him in every young boy she comes across as she could not save him -> desire is the only way she can express herself due to the trauma at the Flamingo
6
Q
STEVE AND EUNICE
A
- Serve as a parallel to Stella and Stanley through the portrayal of domestic violence -> normalised in society and considered common through lack of overreaction
- Eunice is a window to Stella’s future due to her being older and sometimes abusing her husband in response to his own hits on her
