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❓ Referring to these lines and other parts of the play, examine how and why
Williams presents characters’ conflicting desires at different points in the
play.
A Streetcar Named Desire 2
, ❓ Q13: Refer to Scene 4, beginning
‘Blanche, I’d forgotten how excitable you are.’
and ending
‘But he could do it, he could certainly do it!’.
This interaction occurs near the beginning of the scene. It is the morning after the poker
night where Stanley attacked Stella. Blanche has just returned to Stanley and Stella’s
apartment from staying upstairs with Eunice. Referring to these lines and other parts of the
play, examine how and why Williams presents characters’ conflicting desires at different
points in the play.
AO1 Interaction between Blanche and Stella:
Stella’s declaratives creating a matter of fact response to Stanley’s violence: you’re
making much too much fuss about this; there’s some coffee left on the stove.
Blanche’s questioning of Stella’s reactions in interrogatives: am I, And that – that
makes it all right?
Stella’s use of negative politeness to acknowledge Blanche’s reactions to Stanley’s
violence: I’m awful sorry it had to happen
Stella’s excuses for Stanley shown in figurative language: He’s a powder-keg, He was
as good as lamb
Stella’s delight in Stanley’s violence suggested in her use of material verbs to describe
his actions - smashed; snatched; rushed – and the repetition of ‘smashed’ for
reinforcement of her delight
Italics as a stage direction to suggest prosodic emphasis and Blanche’s shock at
Stella’s delight: you let him? Didn’t run, didn’t scream?
Stella’s hedging when admitting her pleasure in Stanley’s violent nature: I was – sort of
-thrilled by it.
Blanche’s horror in Stanley’s behaviour in exclamatories: And you stand there smiling!;
you’re
married to a madman!
Blanche’s use of idiomatic imperatives to Stella in an attempt to make Stella consider
her current life with Stanley: pull yourself together and face the facts.
Adverbs in stage directions to represent Stella’s explicit rejection of Blanche’s
suggestions and
Blanche’s surprise: [Slowly and emphatically], [Incredulously]
Repetition of same phrasal verb by Stella and Blanche to express their conflicting
desires: get out of
A Streetcar Named Desire 3
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