Scene Nine Flashcards
1
Q
“[She has on her scarlet satin robe]”
A
- nightwear represents sexual desire
- plastic theatre
- contemporary view: problem of clothes, revaluing doesn’t mean she’s suggesting
2
Q
“[Mitch comes around the corner […] He is unshaven.]”
A
- lost his gentlemanly composure
- lack of care for his appearance, doesn’t want to impress her
- heartbroken and struggling after finding out the truth
3
Q
“You’ve stopped that polka tune that I had caught in my head.”
A
- Mitch offers an escape and balance to Blanche’s life; keeps her sane since the polka music represents her crumbling sanity
- helps distract her
- ‘caught’ suggests illness, mental illness?
4
Q
“Here’s something. Southern Comfort. What is that I wonder?”
A
- Stanley’s property
- alcoholism
- suggests the Old South comforts her
- deliberate metaphor
5
Q
“I like it dark. The dark is comforting to me.”
A
- juxtaposes how she favours white clothing etc
- neglects the reality of her life
6
Q
“[He tears the paper lantern off the light-bulb. She utters a frightened gasp.]”
A
- violent
- ironic as he’s the one who helped her put it up
- exposing her true self
- reveals her fantasies and vulnerable state
7
Q
“I’ll tell you what I want. Magic!”
A
- living in a fantasy. mortified of her last
- scared to face reality
- losing her mind; failure to accept the light shows her diminishing awareness of reality
8
Q
“The Tarantula Arms”
A
- tarantulas are deadly and sinister: lure their prey to death: a metaphor for how Blanche lures people in with lies
- shedding of exoskeleton = shedding of disguise
- female spiders injure/kill male spiders after sex
9
Q
“After the death of Allan - intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with…”
A
- victimisation of herself
- saw Allan’s death as a loss of light in her life
- playing the role of a tragic heroine
10
Q
“I thanked God for you”
A
- religious lexis suggests how she sees Mitch as a saviour
- keeps her sane and offers an escape from her trauma
