Quote Theme Analysis/Significance
Elysian Fields, raffish Setting The name of the building that the action
charm, tinny piano occurs in is significant as the Elysian
Fields were the final resting places of
the Gods and heroes.
Yet the setting itself isn’t quite like that
as its charm is only raffish and the piano
is tinny, showing a lack of quality.
Roughly dressed in blue Stanley’s character Presents him as a blue-collar worker
denim work clothes, meat! typical in America at the time.
The meat makes him seem very animal-
istic as he is catching the food and then
giving it to his wife.
Of a background obviously Stella’s character Shows the audience that Stella isn’t
quite different from her rough and common like Stanley natu-
husband’s, she cries out in rally, but she has adapted to the new
protest, laughs breath- way of life.
lessly
Shocked disbelief, her ap- Blanche’s facade Ostensibly, Blanche seems to be much
pearances is incongruous more aristocratic, traditional and have
to the setting, daintily much more money than her sister and
dressed, delicate beauty, she comes into her home with quite an
moth, white suit elitist attitude.
Belle Reve Setting Means beautiful dream, symbolises the
fall of the Old South and Blanche’s in-
creasing separation from reality.
Horrible place! What are Blanche’s facade Blanche critiques Stella’s living situation
you doing in a place like with her elitist attitude, we later find out
this? Why that you had to that she doesn’t even have a house.
live in these conditions!
You have a maid, don’t
you?
You’re as plump as a little Stella + Blanche’s Blanche is insulting Stella’s appearance
partridge relationship after they have just met, showed the
fractious nature of their relationship.
Stanley is Polish, you Stella + Blanche’s Blanche’s appearances is already hav-
know relationship ing an effect on control of the jungle as
They both laugh again in she is making elitist jokes with Stella
the same way, a differ- about Stanley’s race.
ence species
When he’s away for a Stella + Stanley’s Shows how unhealthily dependent Stella
week I nearly go wild, I cry relationship is on Stanley, in this case physically.
on his lap like a child She can’t cope without the sex.
You are the one that aban- Setting Blanche says that Stella ran away from
doned Belle Reve, I stand Belle Reve and that she was heroic for
and fought for it, bled for trying to save it. As the play goes on the
it, almost died for it audience realise that it was more Stella
adapting and Blanche being stuck in the
past.
I took the blows in my face Blanche’s troubled This monologue shows the audience the
and body, it had to be past intense emotional trauma that Blanche
burned like rubbish, strug- suffered through along whilst all of her
gle for breath and bleed- family members slowly died.
