A Streetcar Named Desire- Scene 4
Scene three changed the dynamics in the household- completely contrasting reactions of
Stella and Blanche of the events of the previous night. It is a huge point of animosity for the
sisters and scene four unravels this, conveying the aftermath of the domestic abuse as the
tension between Stanley and Blanche grows, leaving Stella to choose between the two.
1. Stella not only forgives Stanley’s violence; she is drawn to it and sees it as part of his
attraction.
The next morning, Stella lies tranquilly in bed when Blanche, wild from a
‘sleepless night’, comes in- clearly filled with much worry for her sister, in
fear of Stanley and his uncontrollable anger.
Even the stage directions at the beginning of Scene Four, which liken Stella’s
glowing face after a night spent with Stanley to that of an Eastern idol,
suggest there is a mystical aspect to Stanley and Stella’s violent attraction.
Stella calmly lies in bed at the scene’s opening as if she has just taken part in
something holy. ‘Her face is serene in the early morning sunlight… her eyes
and lips have that almost narcotized tranquillity that is in the face of
eastern idols.’
It is clear that the toxic masculinity of Stanley has been normalised by Stella
due to its frequency- Stella tells Blanche it ‘wasn’t anything as serious as you
seem to take it’- perhaps Stanley’s violence has previously been even more
intense that this incident is downplayed in the eyes of Stella.
Stella explains that Stanley gets into violent moods sometimes, for example
on their wedding night, but she likes him the way that he is––she is “sort
of––thrilled” by him. Although Stella claims to repudiate Stanley’s violence,
she is clearly aroused by his aggression, bound to him with sexual attraction.
Though Blanche sees Stanley’s actions as unforgivable, Stella, to a certain
degree, is under the spell of some of the violence—as she says, she finds it
‘thrilling’ and this shows she feels exhilarated when Stanley behaves in an
aggressive manner; implication of pleasure from his destructive behaviour.
This is a relationship centred on heightened passion.
Blanche insists that Stella can still ‘get out’ of her situation, as she believes
her sister is ‘married to a madman’- but Stella explains that she’s not in
something she has “a desire to get out of.” Blanche is frantically trying to
bring sense to her sister, yet love has blinded her and the primal love
between the two, and the power of Stanley, is too strong to be intervened by
Blanche.
‘Stanley’s always smashed things…He smashed all the lightbulbs with the
heel of my slipper!...I was- sort of- thrilled by it.’ Highlights Stanley’s
capacity for violence- mindless aggression and how violence and passion are
integral to their relationship.
, 2. Blanche’s fantasy about Shep Huntleigh.
It is in this scene where she first conceives of contacting her old
acquaintance, Shep Huntleigh, who will develop as a symbol of her potential
escape from this world as the play progresses.
Blanche, still frantic, says that she recently ran into an old beau of hers, Shep
Huntleigh, who has made millions from oil wells in Texas- ‘Texas is literally
spouting gold in his pockets.’ This also shows Blanche’s materialistic nature
and desire for money even though she claims she’s ‘indifferent’ to it.
Blanche proposes that Shep could provide money for she and Stella and set
them up in a shop to escape from Stanley. Even though Blanche is horrified at
the way Stanley treats Stella, her solution to get out of the situation also
relies on a man.
‘I went out with him at college…’ Blanche still holding on to the past-
delusions. We see her beginning to retreat into a world of illusion.
Blanche wants to believe that she is staying with Stella by choice, rather than
necessity, and that at any moment she can sail away with Shep, though the
audience can tell that her fantasy is just that: a fantasy.
‘I have a plan for us, to get us both- out!’ ‘Darling Shep. Sister and I in
desperate situation.’ Wants to ‘escape’ so Stella doesn’t have to live this life-
recognises the entrapment within the relationship (link to staging all in one
apartment) and perhaps the danger that she is facing here. This also again
shows Blanche’s dependence on men.
3. Blanche talks about what it’s like to live with Stanley and Stella doesn’t heed the
warning.
Blanche cannot stand the presence of Stanley, especially after the events of
the previous night- ‘Stella, I can’t live with him!’ It is clear she is repulsed by
the fact her sister will then still sleep with the man after the abuse he
demonstrates, and lack of respect even with Stella carrying their child.
Blanche’s threat to “laugh in [Stella’s] face” if Stella tries to claim that her
attraction to Stanley is “just one of those electric things” shows that Blanche
does not truly believe in love- especially not between Stanley and Stella.
Throughout the play, Blanche claims to possess romantic notions of timeless
relations, but her comments to Stella in this scene reveal her as a cold cynic.
Blanche- ‘the only way to live with such a man is to- go to bed with him!’
Focus on sexuality here- sense of Blanche’s preoccupation with this. Also
foreshadows the rape of Blanche in scene 10.
Stella says that Blanche ‘saw him at his worst last night’, but Blanche replies
that she ‘saw him at his best.’ Stanley showed his true colours, and once
again Stella tries to defend his actions, as demonstrated earlier when she also
says: ‘when men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen.’
Blanche claims not to understand how a woman from Belle Reve could live
with a man like Stanley, and this once again highlights her ingrained racial
views of Stanley- not only does she look down on him for his treatment of
Stella, but also for his Polish lineage. ‘I take it for granted that you still have
sufficient memory of Belle Reve to find this place and these poke players
Scene three changed the dynamics in the household- completely contrasting reactions of
Stella and Blanche of the events of the previous night. It is a huge point of animosity for the
sisters and scene four unravels this, conveying the aftermath of the domestic abuse as the
tension between Stanley and Blanche grows, leaving Stella to choose between the two.
1. Stella not only forgives Stanley’s violence; she is drawn to it and sees it as part of his
attraction.
The next morning, Stella lies tranquilly in bed when Blanche, wild from a
‘sleepless night’, comes in- clearly filled with much worry for her sister, in
fear of Stanley and his uncontrollable anger.
Even the stage directions at the beginning of Scene Four, which liken Stella’s
glowing face after a night spent with Stanley to that of an Eastern idol,
suggest there is a mystical aspect to Stanley and Stella’s violent attraction.
Stella calmly lies in bed at the scene’s opening as if she has just taken part in
something holy. ‘Her face is serene in the early morning sunlight… her eyes
and lips have that almost narcotized tranquillity that is in the face of
eastern idols.’
It is clear that the toxic masculinity of Stanley has been normalised by Stella
due to its frequency- Stella tells Blanche it ‘wasn’t anything as serious as you
seem to take it’- perhaps Stanley’s violence has previously been even more
intense that this incident is downplayed in the eyes of Stella.
Stella explains that Stanley gets into violent moods sometimes, for example
on their wedding night, but she likes him the way that he is––she is “sort
of––thrilled” by him. Although Stella claims to repudiate Stanley’s violence,
she is clearly aroused by his aggression, bound to him with sexual attraction.
Though Blanche sees Stanley’s actions as unforgivable, Stella, to a certain
degree, is under the spell of some of the violence—as she says, she finds it
‘thrilling’ and this shows she feels exhilarated when Stanley behaves in an
aggressive manner; implication of pleasure from his destructive behaviour.
This is a relationship centred on heightened passion.
Blanche insists that Stella can still ‘get out’ of her situation, as she believes
her sister is ‘married to a madman’- but Stella explains that she’s not in
something she has “a desire to get out of.” Blanche is frantically trying to
bring sense to her sister, yet love has blinded her and the primal love
between the two, and the power of Stanley, is too strong to be intervened by
Blanche.
‘Stanley’s always smashed things…He smashed all the lightbulbs with the
heel of my slipper!...I was- sort of- thrilled by it.’ Highlights Stanley’s
capacity for violence- mindless aggression and how violence and passion are
integral to their relationship.
, 2. Blanche’s fantasy about Shep Huntleigh.
It is in this scene where she first conceives of contacting her old
acquaintance, Shep Huntleigh, who will develop as a symbol of her potential
escape from this world as the play progresses.
Blanche, still frantic, says that she recently ran into an old beau of hers, Shep
Huntleigh, who has made millions from oil wells in Texas- ‘Texas is literally
spouting gold in his pockets.’ This also shows Blanche’s materialistic nature
and desire for money even though she claims she’s ‘indifferent’ to it.
Blanche proposes that Shep could provide money for she and Stella and set
them up in a shop to escape from Stanley. Even though Blanche is horrified at
the way Stanley treats Stella, her solution to get out of the situation also
relies on a man.
‘I went out with him at college…’ Blanche still holding on to the past-
delusions. We see her beginning to retreat into a world of illusion.
Blanche wants to believe that she is staying with Stella by choice, rather than
necessity, and that at any moment she can sail away with Shep, though the
audience can tell that her fantasy is just that: a fantasy.
‘I have a plan for us, to get us both- out!’ ‘Darling Shep. Sister and I in
desperate situation.’ Wants to ‘escape’ so Stella doesn’t have to live this life-
recognises the entrapment within the relationship (link to staging all in one
apartment) and perhaps the danger that she is facing here. This also again
shows Blanche’s dependence on men.
3. Blanche talks about what it’s like to live with Stanley and Stella doesn’t heed the
warning.
Blanche cannot stand the presence of Stanley, especially after the events of
the previous night- ‘Stella, I can’t live with him!’ It is clear she is repulsed by
the fact her sister will then still sleep with the man after the abuse he
demonstrates, and lack of respect even with Stella carrying their child.
Blanche’s threat to “laugh in [Stella’s] face” if Stella tries to claim that her
attraction to Stanley is “just one of those electric things” shows that Blanche
does not truly believe in love- especially not between Stanley and Stella.
Throughout the play, Blanche claims to possess romantic notions of timeless
relations, but her comments to Stella in this scene reveal her as a cold cynic.
Blanche- ‘the only way to live with such a man is to- go to bed with him!’
Focus on sexuality here- sense of Blanche’s preoccupation with this. Also
foreshadows the rape of Blanche in scene 10.
Stella says that Blanche ‘saw him at his worst last night’, but Blanche replies
that she ‘saw him at his best.’ Stanley showed his true colours, and once
again Stella tries to defend his actions, as demonstrated earlier when she also
says: ‘when men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen.’
Blanche claims not to understand how a woman from Belle Reve could live
with a man like Stanley, and this once again highlights her ingrained racial
views of Stanley- not only does she look down on him for his treatment of
Stella, but also for his Polish lineage. ‘I take it for granted that you still have
sufficient memory of Belle Reve to find this place and these poke players
