ideas Flashcards
why is it suggested blanche bathes so much
guilt and self-loathing - wants to cleanse herself of past mistakes
what does the polka remind us
blanche is haunted by tragic memories - it reinforces her mental fragility
what happened in the first screening of the play
audience cheered when stanley carried blanche away to rape her - shows gender-based double standards that destroy blanche were still very much present
what was happening between north and south
tensions - the south was in decline
what did stella and stanleys marriage demonstrate
stella as wealthy landowning dubois family marries stanely a working class man - demonstrates the extent to which the social fabric in america has been altered by 1947
what is blanche personification of
the old south
what is stanley embodiment of
industrial new america
what does stanley and blanches conflict represent
the conflict between the dying past and the emerging future
what does stanleys victory over blanche suggest
for better or for worse the old south is now a relic of the past
what does the new kowalski baby show
these two ways of life have merged together
what does belle reve mean in french
beautiful dream
what could the name belle reve/beautiful dream show
nostalgia, mourning the loss of a ‘beautiful’ past
or implying like a ‘dream’ this beauty was only illusory and never really existed at all
what happened to williams sister
institutionalised for much her life and had a lobotamy
what was williams plagued by guilt for
his sister never recovered from her lobotomy - is stellas cruel behaviour to her sister an expression of williams own guilt
what was illegal for most of williams life
homosexuality - he loathed himself for his homosexuality
what is blanche a sort of ‘cover’ for
a homosexual given a female mask to avoid having to confront his own feelings about himself
