Mitch

Key Quotations:

Scene 3:

• "You may teach school but you're certainly not an old maid."
• [with awkward courtesy] "How do you do Miss DuBois."
• "Kind of on your high horse, ain't you?"
• "Anyone want a shot?"
• "Poker shouldn't be played in a house with women."
• [Sadly but firmly] "Poker should not be played in a house with women."
• "The girl’s dead now."
• "I gotta sick mother. She don't go to sleep until I come in  at night."
• "She says to go out, so I do, but I don’t enjoy it. All the while I keep wondering how she
  is."
• "There's a story connected with that inscription"
• [Mitch laughs uncomfortably.]
• "I guess that some of them are more interested in other things"
• "I guess we strike you as being a pretty rough bunch."

Scene 6:

• "Just give me a slap whenever I step out of bounds."
• "You are light as a feather."
• "I like you to be exactly the way that you are, because in all my - experience - I have never known anyone like you."
• “You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be –
  you and me, Blanche?”
• "Why did you try if you didn't feel like it, Blanche?"

Scene 9:

• [MITCH comes around the corner in work clothes: blue denim shirt and pants. He is unshaven. He climbs the step to the door and rings.]
• "I wasn't going to see you anymore."
• "I don't think I want to marry you anymore."
• "No, just realistic."
• "I don't want Stan's liquor."
• "Are you boxed out of your mind?"
• "I don’t think I ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact!"
• Mitch [slowly and bitterly]: ‘I don’t mind you being older than what I thought. But all the rest of it - God! That pitch about your ideals being so old-fashioned and all the malarkey that you’ve dished out all summer. Oh I knew you weren’t sixteen any more. But I was a fool enough to believe you was straight’
• “Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies.”
• "You lied to me, Blanche."

Scene 11:

• “You! You done this…”
• “I’ll kill you! [He lunges and strikes at Stanley.]
• "You…you…you…Brag…brag…bull…bull."

Character Analysis:

Perhaps because he lives with his dying mother, Mitch is noticeably more sensitive than Stanley’s other poker friends. The other men pick on him for being a mama’s boy. Even in his first, brief line in Scene One, Mitch’s gentlemanly behavior stands out. Mitch appears to be a kind, decent human being who, we learn in Scene Six, hopes to marry so that he will have a woman to bring home to his dying mother.

Mitch doesn’t fit the bill of the chivalric hero of whom Blanche dreams. He is clumsy, sweaty, and has unrefined interests like muscle building. Though sensitive, he lacks Blanche’s romantic perspective and spirituality, as well as her understanding of poetry and literature. She toys with his lack of intelligence—for example, when she teases him in French because she knows he won’t understand—duping him into playing along with her self-flattering charades.

Though they come from completely different worlds, Mitch and Blanche are drawn together by their mutual need of companionship and support, and they therefore believe themselves right for one another. They also discover that they have both experienced the death of a loved one. The snare in their relationship is sexual. As part of her prim-and-proper act, Blanche repeatedly rejects Mitch’s physical affections, refusing to sleep with him. Once he discovers the truth about Blanche’s sordid sexual past, Mitch is both angry and embarrassed about the way Blanche has treated him. When he arrives to chastise her, he states that he feels he deserves to have sex with her, even though he no longer respects her enough to think her fit to be his wife.

The difference in Stanley’s and Mitch’s treatment of Blanche at the play’s end underscores Mitch’s fundamental gentlemanliness. Though he desires and makes clear that he wants to sleep with Blanche, Mitch does not rape her and leaves when she cries out. Also, the tears Mitch sheds after Blanche struggles to escape the fate Stanley has arranged for her show that he genuinely cares for her. In fact, Mitch is the only person other than Stella who seems to understand the tragedy of Blanche’s madness.

Source

An Introduction to the Play

'A Streetcar Named Desire' is a great play that invites a lot of clichés and many standard interpretations.


The play was first performed in the 1940s (less than 100 years a after the American Civil War) and it was considered very modern for American theatre.



   The American Civil War was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the survival of the Union or independence for the Confederacy. Among the 34 states in January 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, often simply called the South, grew to include eleven states, and although they claimed thirteen states and additional western territories, the Confederacy was never diplomatically recognized by any foreign country. The states that remained loyal and did not declare secession were known as the Union or the North. The war had its origin in the fractious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. After four years of combat, which left over 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed and slavery was abolished. Then began the Reconstruction and the processes of restoring national unity and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves.
(Source)


Tennessee Williams always set his America-based plays in the South. 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is set in New Orleans, Louisiana. 


The definition of 'the South' is key in all of his plays.


The late 1940s is before the basic integration of coloured people into society (before the civil rights movement, before influential figures like Martin Luther King).


The South , in terms of the United States of America and New Orleans in particular, is another country compared to northern cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.


New Orleans is a world removed from the NORMAL America - removed from American literature and the traditions of its culture.


This is very significant in the localisation of the culture in the play.


In some ways, New Orleans established a whole new America.


With 'A Streetcar Named Desire' Tennessee Williams introduces...
... new theatrical language
... a new kind of character
... a new kind of drama


The play is a TRAGEDY in which the main character doesn't die, like in most conventional tragedies, although there is a horribly significant death in the play.


It is a tragedy with many layers - with each layer being surrounded by clichés:

• Tennessee Williams was homosexual.
• His sister, Rose, was institutionalised in a mental hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young woman.
• Williams was an outsider in the society that he grew up in.

These clichés are reinforced when people tend to look at these kinds of themes in his plays, however his plays go far beyond these clichéd ideas.

TRAGEDY

Scene 5 and Scene 6

How and why does the tension increase?

• Blanche's presence gets progressively more unbearable for Stanley .
• This causes more and more tension not only between Stanley and Blanche but also Stanley and Stella.
• As Stanley starts to dig up (and reveal) Blanche's past, the tension between the two characters increases further.
• He is revealing her deepest, darkest secrets which she wants hidden.
• E.g.: his mention of Hotel Flamingo made Blanche very uncomfortable.
• Blanche's real age is a constant problem.
• It's a struggle and an obstacle for her.
• It also causes tension between the two sisters because Stella is tired of constantly having to reassure Blanche - everything revolves around Blanche and her vanity.
• Stanley is a topic that causes tension between Blanche and Mitch because Blanche is afraid that Stanley will reveal the truth about her past to Mitch..
• This also creates a conflict between Mitch and Stanley, who have been friends for a long time, because they have different - very contrasting - perceptions of Blanche. 

What is the power structure in these two scenes?

• The fact that Stanley is looking into and revealing Blanche's past weakens Blanche and shifts even more of the power over to Stanley.
• Blanche is losing her grip on reality and Stella has to care for her. 
• Their roles (big sister - little sister) have switched.
• Stella has more power - she is stronger (both emotionally and mentally)
• Blanche puts up a strong front for Mitch.
• She makes herself seem more powerful than him due to her 'ability to resist temptation' - makes him have respect for her.#
• Blanche's past makes her weak - as more of it is revealed, she becomes progressively more vulnerable.
• There is a sense of irony here as revealing secrets should be liberating!
• After Blanche talks about her past (her young love who died) to Mitch, there is a POWER SHIFT.
• Mitch becomes the stronger character of the two as he comforts the weak, vulnerable and broken Blanche.

MITCH

During these two scenes a bit more is revealed about the character of Mitch:

• When he sees Blanche, he is excited - bouncy and joyful.
• This suggests that he is beginning to fall in love.
• He is clearly very fond of her.
• He is awkward.
• He asked Blanche for permission to kiss her so he lost the exciting spontaneity of new love.
• He is very awkward in all his interactions with her.
• He is quite shy - ashamed of his body.
• But Blanche makes him more comfortable and accepting of himself.
• Mitch is very naïve which makes him vulnerable.
• He is very emotional.

AFTER SCENE SIX THERE IS A NATURAL PAUSE IN THE PLAY!
This is due to the time gap between the end of Scene 6 and the beginning of Scene Seven. Scene Seven begins again in mid-September while all of the previous scenes took place in early May.

Scenes 2 - 4

Conflicts

The Sources of Conflict

 Stanley and Blanche:

• Stanley thinks that Blanche is in the way. 
• He is tired of having to do everything in the way that suits Blanche.
• The loss of Belle Reve
• The Napoleonic Code - Belle Reve belongs to him as well!
• Stanley thinks that Blanche swindled him and Stella.
• Stanley doesn't like the fact that he works hard, yet he still doesn't lead a life of luxury like the one Blanche was born into.
• He sees Blanche as a problem - distrusts her.
• Blanche's and Stanley's attitudes and behaviours clash!

Stanley and Stella:

• Stella constantly defends her sister to her husband who gets frustrated over  this.
• Stella knows that all Stanley does is insult Blanche.
• This makes it clear to her that her husband strongly dislikes his sister.
• Puts her in an impossible situation as she has to constantly chose between her husband and her sister - she has to take sides.
• violence
• Stanley hits Stella - domestic abuse.
• Stanley is very controlling - tries to take over Stella but she stands up for herself.

Stella and Blanche:

• Stanley (she defends Stanley to her sister).
• Blanche wants to rescue Stella from her marriage but Stella doesn't want to leave.
• Stella thinks that Blanche's superior attitude is out of place - she has no right to criticise her!
• The two sisters blame each other (to some extent) for the loss of Belle Reve

Mitch and Stanley:

Stanley very clearly dislikes (if not hates) Blanche while Mitch takes an obvious liking to her. This causes conflict between the two friends at the Poker Night.

Why is conflict attractive in a narrative?

In 'A Streetcar Named Desire', conflict drives the narrative. It is all about conflicts working themselves out. So why is conflict so attractive in a narrative?

• We often watch or read about people who are in worse positions than ourselves.
• The extreme highs and lows which are emphasised and exaggerated are more entertaining than real life.
• These conflicts are the key exciting moments of people's real lives compressed into one plot (one narrative).
• We don't come across such conflicts in our every day lives.
• Sometimes the conflicts portrayed in a narrative show us things which we are experiencing ourselves which allow us to form emotional connections to particular characters.
• These conflicts reflect our lives in some way, while in other ways they are an exaggeration of our lives

Emotional connections: How are emotional connections to the different characters developed?

Stanley:

• He wants what is best for Stella and their baby.
• He is devoted to her.
• He loves her.
• He is excited to be a father and wants to be a good one.
• He is deeply sorry for hitting Stella.
• He becomes vulnerable and shows raw emotion.
• This almost makes the audience forget what he did prior to his apology (like Stella does).
• Strength and dominance are attractive personality features in a character
• Stanley is shown to be emotionally vulnerable.
• This conflicts our prior assumptions about his character (strong, rough exterior).
• Moral? - On judgements about Blanche.
• Fun loving.
• witty comments
• lovable character (with some bad qualities)
• Light-hearted - not too serious
• The audience often feels sympathy for him as he has to put up with Blanche.

Blanche:

• She always "fishes" for compliments. 
• She is in constant need of reassurance.
• She is dependent on others.
• PITY
• Her paranoia about her appearance is used to cover up her insecurity.
• She is EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE - fragile, weak and easily destroyed.
• Blanche is at risk - especially in a house with someone like Stanley.
• These things collectively make the audience worry about her.
• Tragic past (sad, emotional backstory).
• She shows real (and profound) emotions which allows the audience to form an emotional connection with her.
• SYMPATHY
• She is nervous, hysterical, delusional.
• This shows her character as being FRAGILE and VULNERABLE.
• PITY
• She wants what is best for her little sister (the only family that she has left).
• caring, protective, motherly.
• At heart, Blanche cares about Stella - her sister is the only thing blanche really cares about in the world.
• perhaps over-protective.
• Fun - a bit mad, but funny.
• witty, intelligent, cultural and educated.
• a true conversationalist.
• In different circumstances, Blanche would be a lot more fun (a more light-hearted character)
• This reminds the audience of her tragic backstory.

Mitch:

• Mitch cares for his sick mother.
• sensitive, caring, sweet
• Tragic backstory demonstrates his sensitivity and makes the audience feel sympathetic towards him.
• He is a gentleman - behaves very respectfully towards Blanche.
• He isn't violent.
• Mitch is able to calm Blanche down.
• He is a good person with a heart of gold.
• Mitch is out of place and socially awkward.
• He is a bit off in his social interactions which makes the audience want to help him out.
• Feel sorry for him.

Stella:

• She is constantly put in situations where she has to make a decision between her husband and her sister.
• She is put in an IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION as she is trying to please Stanley and Blanche at the same time.
• sympathy
• Stella has to look after everyone around her.
• motherly
• She is very forgiving.
• Especially towards her violent and abusive husband.
• This suggests that she is completely in love with him - blinded by love.
• This can also be frustrating for the audience:
• Is she too forgiving???
• Should Stella really forgive and tolerate Stanley?
• She is also tolerant of Blanche - an individual who is very high maintenance and hard to deal with.
• Stella always tries to see the best in people.
• She stands up for people - defends them.
• protective
• an endearing quality
• She is emotionally intelligent.
• She is an observer; aware of and understands what's going on around her, but doesn't always contribute.
• WISE.

Scene 1 - Textual Analysis

1) DIALOGUE:

Focusing on pages 9 - 12 (the second half of Blanche and Stella's conversation):

• The proportion of Blanche's dialogue to Stella's dialogue is 2:1.
• Blanche has several large monologues.
• This makes her seem self-centred.
• Blanche uses hyperbolic language which contrasts Stella's speech as she is a lot more understated in her language.
• Blanche tries to control the conversation.
• She jumps from one topic to another.
• This suggests her insecurity.
• Blanche's dialogue to Stella is motherly.

Throughout the scene:

• Blanche's dialogue is hyperbolic and melodramatic.
• She has LONG TURNS:
• long monologues.
• dominates the conversation.
• Blanche (who uses very figurative/symbolic language as if she her head in the clouds) juxtaposes Stella who is a lot more down-to-earth in the way she speaks (uses high frequency lexis while Blanche).
• There is a POWER SHIFT from when Blanche is having a conversation with her sister Stella to when she speaks with Stanley when they meet for the first time:
• Here Blanche speaks a lot less than when she was in conversation with her younger sister.
• Blanche stutters  frequently.
• The length of turns changes as Stanley talks for longer periods of time - he is more self-confident than Blanche as he is in his own environment while Blanche is an outsider. 
• This all suggests that Blanche is inferior to Stanley.
• Stanley's aware of his power over Blanche and enjoys it!

2) ATTITUDES:

Focusing on pages 9 - 12 (the second half of Blanche and Stella's conversation):

• Stella is given the stage direction to tell her sister that she's still beautiful and hasn't aged DUTIFULLY. 
• This suggests that Stella is tired of constantly having to reassure Blanche as this has been her role in their relationship for a long time.
• Stella is proud of her husband:
• "A Mater Sergeant in the Engineers' Corps. Those are decorations!" (showing Blanche a photograph of Stanley before she meets him for the first time).
• IRONIC: Blanche's dialogue to Stella being motherly, but despite taking on this role (adopting this persona), Blanche is the one who needs looking after.
• Blanche and Stella share a strong sisterly bond so they are pleased to see each other but it doesn't take long for the family feuds to start up again.
• STELLA: But how did it go? What happened?
• BLANCHE [springing up]: You're a fine one to ask me how it went!
• STELLA: Blanche!
• BLANCHE: You're a fine one to sit there accusing me of it!

Throughout the scene:

• Stanley calls Stella "the little woman" which emphasises his power over her and his possessive, controlling attitude.
• Stella also enjoys Stanley's masculine dominance. She likes to wait for her husband to come  home and likes the feeling of being obsessed with him:
• STELLA [half to herself]: I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night...
• BLANCHE: Why, Stella?
• STELLA: When he's away for a week I nearly go wild!
• BLANCHE: Gracious!
• STELLA: And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby... [She smiles to herself.]
• To Blanche, Stella is very precious:
• BLANCHE: Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for Star!

3) STAGE DIRECTIONS:

Focusing on pages 9 - 12 (the second half of Blanche and Stella's conversation):

• Blanche is given a hysterical character through the stage directions:
• [She touches her forehead shakily.]
• Stage directions also tell the audience that Blanche is in constant need of assurance:
• [She laughs nervously and glances at Stella for reassurance.]
• Through the stage directions it is made clear that Stella doesn't want Blanche's motherly attitude.
• [She is embarrassed.]
• [uncomfortably]

Throughout the scene:

• During the opening of the scene (and the entire play), Blanche's stage directions make her seem uncomfortable in her new situation - she's out of place.
• Williams describes her as 'incongruous' (out of place, incompatible, bizarre).
• Her expression is one of shocked disbelief. 
• The stage directions offer a background to each character.
• Blanche: [... Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth.] The moth is an interesting image to use to symbolise Blanche as a moth is drawn to a light yet Blanche does everything she can to stay out of direct light, preferring to hide in the shadows with all of her secrets that she harbours from the moment of her arrival at Elysian Fields. She is afraid to get too close to the flame and get burned like moths usually do.
• Stanley: The stage directions given to Stanley during his first appearance suggest that he is all about sex and overpowering women. [ ... He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and determining the way he smiles at them.] This means that we know exactly what he is thinking when he meets Blanche for the first time.

4) KEY QUOTATIONS:

Focusing on pages 9 - 12 (the second half of Blanche and Stella's conversation):

• BLANCHE: You see I still have that awful vanity about my looks even now that my looks are slipping!
• BLANCHE: I guess that is what I meant by being in love... 
• STELLA: I assure you I wasn't just blinded by all the brass.

Throughout the scene:

• STANLEY: Some people rarely touch it, but it touches them often.
• STANLEY: Be comfortable is my motto.
• STANLEY: [...] I'm afraid I'll strike you as being the unrefined type. [...]

The Main Characters

STANLEY:

• violent - aggressive (DOMESTIC ABUSE)
• but also passionate
• controlling - he influences everyone and everything
• however, at some moments Stella has control over him (e.g.: when he begs for her forgiveness at the end of Scene Three)
• at the beginning of the play, Blanche has complete control over him
• manipulative
• self-aware
• he emphasises the fact that he is AMERICAN and he's proud of it
• patriotic to America
• there is a feeling that he's ashamed of his Polish heritage - almost disowns his roots.
• cruel
• sees through Blanche's lies straight away
• emotionally-aware
• animalistic - primitive and sexual
• manly/strong - very attractive and he's aware of this
• the LEADER - team captain of his bowling team, dominant
• blunt
• straight to the point/direct
• short speech - contrasts Blanche's long monologues

Feelings towards the character of Stanley:

• negative - antagonist
• afraid of him - for Stella and Blanche
• it is clear that he absolutely loves and adores Stella - perhaps he is too in love with Stella (his love for her affects his actions in a negative way)
• like Stella, the audience can forgive his mistakes due to his attractiveness - his flaws are almost forgiven due to his sexual presence and looks.
• loving, caring husband vs. violent wife-beating rapist

BLANCHE:

• hypocritically judgemental - in the way that she looks down on the position that Stella is in
• Blanche is from a very wealthy background 
• a high social standing
• a different social class to Stanley - obvious in their contrasting manner and speech
• superficial
• self-obsessed
• her image: clothes, appearance and age matter too much to her - FAKE IMAGE
• broken - 
• Blanche arrives broken due to a very difficult time (traumatic experiences)
• throughout the play we watch this finish off - watch Blanche totally fall apart
• insecure - SURFACE CONFIDANCE
• hidden identity
• fake image
• very wise
• well-educated
• knows a lot about the world
• yet NAÏVE

Feelings towards the character of Blanche:

• irritated - Blanche is incredibly frustrating 
• sympathy - pity
•  she's so flawed and has been through a lot but we feel sorry for Blanche because she tries to do the right thing
• we also pity her because she is OUT OF PLACE
• New Orleans isn't her world - she's an outsider

MITCH:

• he's an outsider - like Blanche
• when Blanche and Mitch meet, it is like a destined meeting of two outcasts
• empathetic
• calm
• caring - looks after his sick mother at home
• similar (emotional) background to Blanche - his love died when they were still very young and he still carries a cigarette case she gave him
• EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT
• childlike, nervous, awkward in his interactions with Blanche
• when he finds out the truth about Blanche, he tries to become Stanley but it doesn't work!
• intelligent
• more educated than Stanley
• STABLE 
• Blanche chooses him because she wants stability and not someone who is short-tempered but wild, passionate and attractive like Stanley
• Mitch cares for Blanche - he wants (needs) somebody to care for and she needs someone to care for her
• they need each other

Feelings towards the character of Mitch:

• sympathetic
• rooting for him to have his deserved happy ending
• admiration - he is such a caring, kind-hearted and sensitive man

STELLA:

• strong 
• she made it in a world that is completely different to the one she grew up in
• she can calm Stanley - a  very difficult man who is hard to live with
• INNER EMOTIONAL STRENGTH
• humble
• down-to-earth
• ordinary
• able to love
• motherly towards Blanche and Stanley who are more child-like (despite both being older than her)
• CORE: Stella is the centre of the play - both Blanche and Stanley rely on her, would fall apart without her
• pragmatic - less at mercy with her emotions (although she sometimes is when it comes to Stanley)
• KEY CHARACTER: Stella is a very important character in the play due to her difficult choice between her husband and her sister
• why did she make the choice she made???
• her decision can be justified by the fact that Blanche actually needs help because she is a very sick woman by the end of the play
• Stella chose what was best for her and her baby - if she chose to believe her sister, she would've lost everything
• before faced with this decision, she was really in control (of the characters) but now she is powerless

Feelings towards the character of Stella:

• sympathy
• admiration - she is such a strong individual
• pity - no one would like to be faced with a decision like having to choose between your sister and your husband!

Key Narrative Moments

Some of the key narrative moments include:

• Blanche's arrival
• Finding out that Stella is pregnant
• Stanley hits Stella
• Stella goes back to Stanley
• Discovering Blanche's past (according to Stanley)
• Blanche's birthday
• Discovering Blanche's past (as told by Blanche)
• Stanley rapes Blanche
• Stanley convinces Stella to send Blanche off to a mental institute - Stella's choice between her husband and her sister.

Blanche's Past (REVELATION - BACKSTORY):

The fact that Blanche's past is only gradually (and progressively) reviewed suggests the complexity of her character and that her insecurities are masked by a surface confidence.

Recent Past:

• Stanley's account: Blanche was a prostitute back in Laurel after she lost her family's fortune and Belle Reve. To make some money Blanche resorted to prostitution.
• Blanche's account: to fill the void in her heart and to help her to cope with her loss and loneliness Blanche had several gentleman friends. Many of these "friends" bought her gifts. Blanche argued that her story was misunderstood.

Distant Past:

Blanche has several long monologues in which she reveals her tragic past:

• Her young husband, who she married when she was still a child (at sixteen), seemed to be a loving, affectionate and caring young boy until she found out that he was gay.
• It is suggested that her young husband cheated on her with another man and she walked in on them. This happens off-stage.
• When they went out dancing Blanche told him that he was "disgusting" which lead her young husband to shoot himself. In Blanche's mind she killed her husband, even though she didn't pull the trigger herself! 

Stanley Hits Stella (RISING ACTION):

• This is the first physical attack on Stella in the play and it happens off-stage.
• The fact that Stella is pregnant increases the horror and the audience's sympathy for Stella.

Stella Goes Back To Stanley:

• When Stella forgives Stanley for abusing her and goes back to him it is suggested that this isn't the first time something like this has happened.
• They have a VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP.
• When Stanley begs for her forgiveness he is stripped of his manly, strong and fierce exterior and is seen in a different light - he is vulnerable.

When Blanche Is Taken Away To A Mental Institute:

• When the Doctor comes in to help Blanche she says to him "Whoever you are - I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.". This creates feelings of PITY and SYMPATHY towards Blanche.
• This statement is also ironic because no man really ever treated her with kindness - they all had ulterior motives, betrayed her or let her down.
• When Blanche is taken away, Stella and Stanley have very different reactions. While Stella is deeply affected by what has happened, Stanley just resumes his game of poker as if nothing out of the ordinary took place.
• Some critics say  that this is the CLIMAX of the play while most claim that this is the RESOLUTION.

Stanley Rapes Blanche (CLIMACTIC MOMENT):

• This happens off-stage and is therefore ambiguous - the audience is uncertain whether this actually happens or not.
• This is an off-stage seen because...
• there are no witnesses and DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is always hidden - it happens behind closed doors.
• by the sexual act not happening on stage, it becomes raw and its intimacy is taken away - what you can't see is sometimes more frightening than what you can.
• the ambiguity leaves the  audience doubting Blanche's sanity just like Stella (who has to decide who to believe - her sister or her husband).
• This scene, just like when Stanley hits his pregnant wife during the Poker Night, is most probably off-stage due to censorship laws in 1940s America.

Blanche's Birthday Supper:

• Blanche is a woman who is ageing and desperately wants to hang on to her youth when she was innocent and beautiful.
• The birthday supper symbolises her struggle to accept her age:
• STANLEY: How many candles you putting in that cake? 
• STELLA: I'll stop at twenty-five.
• In reality Blanche is in her early thirties but constantly lies about it. At one point she even pretends to be Stella's younger sister.

Blanche's Baths:

Blanche has several baths throughout the play which change the tone of the scene. One of the best examples of this is in Scene Seven when Blanche is singing in the bathtub while Stanley reveals to Stella the truth about Blanche. There is a contrast between what's happening in the bathroom to what's happening outside. 

Mitch's Return In Scene 10:

During this scene Mitch confronts Blanche about her lies and her fabricated personality. He tries to get Blanche to sleep with him, displaying aggression. This is a shift in Mitch's character from the quiet, mature and emotionally intelligent man he was introduced as.

As he confronts Blanche, he turns the light in order to really see Blanche for the first time which terrifies her. The idea of light is very symbolic throughout the play, almost as if Blanche has hidden all her secrets in the shadows and is afraid to show her true self in daylight. 

The Morning After Stella Goes Back To Stanley:

• The morning after Stella goes back to Stanley, Blanche finds her lying in bed. She confronts her sister about accepting her violent husband's apology.
• However, when Blanche tries to "rescue" Stella from this life, Stella defends Stanley and tells Blanche that she is completely happy with how her life is right now:
• BLANCHE: But you've given in. And that isn't right, you're not old! You can get out.
• STELLA [slowly and empathetically]: I'm not in anything I want to get out of.
• This shows that Stella is completely in love with Stanley. The fact that in this scene Stella is lying in bed emphasises that the key element is her sexual attraction to Stanley.