A Streetcar Named Desire Analysis Questions

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

1. When we first meet Blanche DuBois, she has traveled to see her sister Stella. She took Streetcars named Desire and Cemeteries to arrive at her sister’s apartment. What might these names represent?
The streetcars Blanche took to arrive to Elysian Fields are named to represent the events that led to Blanche’s downfall. After the suicide ofher young husband and the deaths of those at Belle Reve (Cemeteries, death) and the promiscuity that ultimately led to her expulsion from Laurel (Desire), she had no place to go except to live with Stella. Like the streetcars, the events of Blanche’s life led her to Elysian Fields. “They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and getoff at—Elysian Fields!” Alternately, Blanche’s desire and subsequent expulsion could represent the death of her past life, one with living family, stability, a husband, and a firm grip on reality, all of which Blanche does not have anymore.
2. What does Blanche do while she is waiting for Stella to come home?
After Eunice leaves, Blanche sees a bottle of whiskey in Stella’s closet. She“pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down”. She then washes the tumbler and replaces the bottle before Stella arrives.
3. What does Belle Reve mean? What does it refer to in the play?
“Belle reve” is beautiful dream in French. Belle Reve is Stella and Blanche’s ancestral home, which Blanche has “lost”, although she “fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it”, unlike Stella, whodecided to leave that life to marry Stanley.
4. Why does Blanche say that she has left her teaching job to visit Stella?
Blanche says that the events at Belle Reve exhausted her so much that her “nerves broke”, so the high school superintendent suggested that Blanche “take a leave of absence”.
5. Why does Blanche say that she lost Belle Reve?
Blanche has lost Belle Reve because she could notpay for it anymore, as the funerals of her family wasted all the money she had, particularly with her “pitiful salary at the school” and not a “cent of insurance” left.
6. Near the end of Scene One, what do we learn about Blanche’s husband?
Blanche’s husband is dead. As she says, “The boy—the boy died.”
7. In Scene Two, Stanley finds out about the loss of Belle Reve. What is his reaction?Stanley’s immediate reaction is distrust. He believes that Blanche has swindled Stella of her property, which he justifies with Blanche’s flashy collection of jewelry, asking Stella “Where are your pearls and gold bracelets?”
8. What does Stanley think that Blanche has done with the money he believes she made from selling Belle Reve?
Stanley thinks that Blanche has sold Belle Reve to buyclothes and jewelry for herself. He opens her wardrobe trunk and pulls out her clothes, saying “Open your eyes to this stuff! You think she got them out of a teacher’s pay?” He does not realize that Blanche’s clothing is both gaudy and cheap or gifts from admirers.
9. What does Stanley tell Blanche about Stella as they as going through her business papers?
Stanley says “that a man has to takean interest in his wife’s affairs—especially now that she’s going to have a baby.” He is implying that Stella is pregnant.
10. Where are Stella and Blanche going while the men play poker?
Stella is “taking Blanche to Galatoire’s for supper and then to a show”.
11. When Blanche and Stella return to the apartment, the men are still there playing poker. Which one does Stella introduce toBlanche? What does Blanche say about him?
Stella introduces Harold Mitchell to Blanche. Stella asks him, “How is your mother now, Mitch?” which suggests that he is normally referred to as Mitch. Blanche thinks he is “superior to the others” and has “a sort of sensitive look.”
12. Blanche goes to the back room, a bedroom, to relax until the men finish playing. She turns on the radio. Stanley...