Stella - scene 1 Flashcards
(5 cards)
1
Q
‘A gentle young woman, about twenty-five, and of a background obviously quite different from her husband’s’
A
- use of stage directions introduce contrast and theme of Old vs New south
‘gentle’ vs ‘roughly’ - audience may question compatibility of Stella and Stanley
2
Q
‘You never did give me a chance to say much, Blanche. So I just got in the habit of being quiet around you’
A
- use of direct address suggests Stella challenging Blanche - power struggle
- contrast between Stella’s docile portrayal at other points in the play
- anecdote - Stella shares her honest experiences of growing up at Belle Reve with Blanche, to allow the audience to further understand their relationship
3
Q
‘Here’s a picture of him!’
‘A Master Sergeant in the Engineers’ Corps. Those are decorations!’
A
- exclamatives suggest pride and hyperbolised emotion towards Stanley’s role - suggests female hysteria
- gender roles - Stella is in awe of Stanley - devotion, compassion
4
Q
‘I assure you I wasn’t just blinded by all the brass’
A
- plosive alliteration (aggression & violence) provides allusion to sexual tension / attraction
- Stella tries to defend her marriage by acknowledging that she is not only attracted to Stanley’s physical appeal (brass)
- metaphor - brass refers to flashiness and loudness, Stella attempts to convey her raw compassion for Stanley
5
Q
‘When he’s away for a week I nearly go wild!’
‘And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby… [she smiles to herself]’
A
- attitudes towards women in 1940s - dependence on Stanley
- somewhat suggests how Stella does not see his manipulation (oblivious)
- passionate, intense, relationship
- warmth and enthusiasm
- emotional and sexual attachment = desire
