- 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?
- Describe Blanche’s appearance when she first emerges in the play. Be specific and detailed. What might her clothing represent? How well does she fit into her surroundings? What inferences might you make about her character?
- Describe Stanley’s appearance when he first enters the play. Be specific and detailed. What does the package he is holding represent? How does his behavior give an insight into his character? What inferences might you make about Stanley Kowalski.
- Blanche goes into Stella’s apartment to wait for her to come home. What does she do while she is waiting?
- What does Belle Reve mean? What does it refer to in the play?
- At the end of Scene One, what music “rises up, faint in the distance”? How does this effect the mood of the scene? What other sound effects has Williams’ included in the first scene? What moods did these sound effects evoke?
- How does Blanche react to Stella’s living situation? Why might this set a negative tone for her visit?
- When did Stella meet Stanley? How have their circumstances changed since that time?
- What happened to Belle Reve? Why?
- Near the end of Scene One, what do we learn about Blanche’s husband?
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Study Questions: Scene 1
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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?
ReplyDeleteStreetcar named desire, or desire, represents Blanche's desires for what she wants out of life, her desires of the false and magical. The next tram Cemetaries represents the death of Blanche's character or her downfall, and the grave of the mental asylum she goes to rest in.
2 Describe Blanche’s appearance when she first emerges in the play. Be specific and detailed. What might her clothing represent? How well does she fit into her surroundings? What inferences might you make about her character?
Blanche's clothing is her way of representing the false magical reality she wishes to put forth. The fact that she represents a likeness to a moth shows that she is very delicate and does not fit into her surroundings of tough and hardy characters.
3 Describe Stanley’s appearance when he first enters the play. Be specific and detailed. What does the package he is holding represent? How does his behavior give an insight into his character? What inferences might you make about Stanley Kowalski.
Stanley is wearing a bowling jacket and is holding a bloody package when he is first seen. The bloody package represents his brutal mentality and nature in all things, it is a metaphor for his primative 'caveman' side (as cavemen would hunt their meat), he throws this at Stella and from this an inference could be made that he is rough and to the point.
4 Blanche goes into Stella’s apartment to wait for her to come home. What does she do while she is waiting?
Blanche finds the whisky and drinks some of it, to better cope and relax with her situation.
5 What does Belle Reve mean? What does it refer to in the play?
Belle Reve is the DuBois old household. it was an expensive residence set in the countryside that was well sought after, it represents wealth, good-fortune and riches.
6 At the end of Scene One, what music “rises up, faint in the distance”? How does this effect the mood of the scene? What other sound effects has Williams’ included in the first scene? What moods did these sound effects evoke?
The music rising up is the bar tunes or New Orleans, it gives the effect of trying to cover up the problems that arise and therefore distract from reality.The other sound he had included was the cats screech twice. this reminded Blanche of the horror she felt on discovering her husband.
7 How does Blanche react to Stella’s living situation? Why might this set a negative tone for her visit?
Blanche reacts to Stella's living situation as if it were to be looked down upon. This set a negative tone for her visit because she had been seen as judgemental from there in and also shallow.
8 When did Stella meet Stanley? How have their circumstances changed since that time?
9 What happened to Belle Reve? Why?
Belle Reve was lost because it's inhabitants had all (except for Blanche) died
10 Near the end of Scene One, what do we learn about Blanche’s husband?
We learn at the end of scene one that Blanches husband had died.