A Streetcar Named Desire Quotes
Blanche
Scene 1
“Her appearance is incongruous to this setting” = An outsider, she does not belong nor fit in. Represents
social distinction between Blanche and the other characters.
“White suit with a fluffy bodice” = Beginning of play illustrates Blanche as angelic, pure and innocent
‘white’, and also contrasts with the ‘decaying’ surroundings and ‘blue work clothes’ of Stanley.
“A streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries…and get off at Elysian Fields” =
Immediately presents two themes of the play - Death and desire. Elysian Fields is the field of the dead in
Greek mythology which foreshadows Blanche’s demise. Ironic how Desire the streetcar is metaphorically
taking her to her death (Elysian Fields).
“Removes a whiskey bottle. She pours a half tumbler…carefully replaces the bottle” = First intro of her
alcoholism but she drinks privately and hides her addiction to keep up a facade of her innocence.
“Turn that off! I won't be looked at in this merciless glare!” = Blanche is obsessed with her appearance
and wants to look her best. Light can represent purity/transparency and so implies that Blanche is trying
to hide her true age and her deceit.
“Oh my baby! Stella for star!” = Repetition of ‘baby’ and ‘star’ could be her infantilising/undermining Stella.
“Only Mr.Edgar Allan Poe could do it justice” = Allan Poe’s poems are known for its gloomy, gothic
themes and so she is implying Stella’s home belongs in one of his poems. It contrasts with ‘Belle Reve’
which means beautiful dream in French. Also shows her southern Bell snobbery.
“You're just as plump as a little partridge” = Plosive alliteration emphasises criticism directed at Stella -
very condescending. Perhaps speaking from her own insecurities.
“Got to be with somebody, can't be alone” = Highlights how she seeks company, with her sister but also
romantically/sexually. Her insecurities and mental state deteriorating.
“You left! I stayed and struggled!” = Mentally and deeply troubled and confined by the past while Stella
reaches out for a new life in a modern world.
“I took the blows in my face and my body!” = Mentally and physically perhaps? She had to sell herself to
live and her reputation dwindled and suffered.
“The music of the polka rises up faint in the distance” = Represents her mental state. The music
symbolises her trauma and the music increases gradually throughout the play to show her mental decline.
Scene 2
“Costume jewelry” = Her superficial clothing symbolises her facade and deceptions. She is still attached
to her upper class life.
“May I have a drag on your cig?” = Flirting with him in an attempt to manipulate him. Sharing a cigarette is
intimate.
“A woman's charm is fifty percent illusion” = Theme of appearance vs reality.
“The touch of your hands insults them!” = Blanche doesn't want her romantic past to be tainted by the
corruption of the present. Stanley ruins the innocence of their young romance by examining them.
“Now that you've touched them I'll burn them!” = As Stanley has tainted them, she believes that only by
destroying them can she make things pure and clean again. Shows how she must destroy her past and
put on a cleaner facade to keep surviving in the present day.
“I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me” = Shows Blanche’s recognition of Stanley’s desires to
hurt her, however she underestimates him.
, “Grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornifications” =
Generations of old south money lost to trivial pursuit such as gambling and sleeping around -
patriarchy/misogyny.
Scene 3
“How do I look?” = Obsession with her appearance and wants to look her best knowing she's about to
meet a lot of men. Her way of securing herself with a potential husband through her looks - expectations
on women.
“He seems superior to the others…is he married?” = Blanche meets Mitch for the first time and
immediately asks about his status showing her priority of finding a husband to financially and emotionally
support her.
“Blanche moves back into the streak of light” = She's keen for the men to see her figure but not her full
body and hides behind the curtains to hide her imperfections. Uses her body to flirt and attract the men,
shows that a woman's appearance was significant in this time period.
“Have you got any cigs?” (To Mitch) = Mirrors convo with Stanley earlier, shows how she can only
communicate through flirting - has become a lifestyle to survive. Cigarettes are phallic imagery.
“I'm not accustomed to having more than one drink” = Dramatic irony as the audience knows she is. Also
shows how she constantly says she doesn't drink in order to hide her addiction, denial of her own
alcoholism.
“We are French by extraction” = Presents an edited version of herself by lying about her ancestry. She
prefers to make up fantasies about herself than telling the truth - fantasy vs reality.
“Stella is my precious little sister” = Dramatic irony again. Lies once again to Mitch - relationship is built on
lies, foreshadowing her relationship is doomed from the start.
“I can't stand a naked bulb” = Motif of light. Blanche dislikes light as it could expose the reality behind her
facade.
“I need kindness now” = Reference to her declining mental state that means she needs people to be kind
to her, or an emotional ploy to manipulate Mitch into liking her, sympathising with her.
Scene 4
“Pull yourself together and face the facts” = Ironic that Blanche is telling Stella this even though she can't
face her own issues - hypocritical.
“Shep Huntleigh” = Begins to hint at her loss of reality, as he represents the life she wishes she could
have had. Symbol Blanches fantasies and delusions.
“Y’know how indifferent i am to money” = Dramatic irony - the audience is aware of Blanche's obsession
with materialistic wealth from the very moment they saw her trunk filled with furs and fancy looking cheap
stuff. Appearance vs reality.
“What you are talking about is brutal desire - just desire!” = Blanche is shocked by Stella and Stanley's
relationship. They would have been used to gentleman.
“He acts like an animal…Something subhuman-something not quite to the stage of humanity” = Simile
shows how she sees Stanley as animalistic. She devalues his human characteristics and shows that she
thinks that she and Stella are superior. SIbilance is used throughout the monologue to emphasise the
urgency of Blanche's tone.
Scene 5
“Myself, myself, for being such a liar!” = Perhaps one of the only moments where Blanche is self aware
and realistic.
“Virgo is the virgin…(Stanley “bah!”) = Ironic as we know it's not true. Stanley knows this isn't true also.
Blanche
Scene 1
“Her appearance is incongruous to this setting” = An outsider, she does not belong nor fit in. Represents
social distinction between Blanche and the other characters.
“White suit with a fluffy bodice” = Beginning of play illustrates Blanche as angelic, pure and innocent
‘white’, and also contrasts with the ‘decaying’ surroundings and ‘blue work clothes’ of Stanley.
“A streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries…and get off at Elysian Fields” =
Immediately presents two themes of the play - Death and desire. Elysian Fields is the field of the dead in
Greek mythology which foreshadows Blanche’s demise. Ironic how Desire the streetcar is metaphorically
taking her to her death (Elysian Fields).
“Removes a whiskey bottle. She pours a half tumbler…carefully replaces the bottle” = First intro of her
alcoholism but she drinks privately and hides her addiction to keep up a facade of her innocence.
“Turn that off! I won't be looked at in this merciless glare!” = Blanche is obsessed with her appearance
and wants to look her best. Light can represent purity/transparency and so implies that Blanche is trying
to hide her true age and her deceit.
“Oh my baby! Stella for star!” = Repetition of ‘baby’ and ‘star’ could be her infantilising/undermining Stella.
“Only Mr.Edgar Allan Poe could do it justice” = Allan Poe’s poems are known for its gloomy, gothic
themes and so she is implying Stella’s home belongs in one of his poems. It contrasts with ‘Belle Reve’
which means beautiful dream in French. Also shows her southern Bell snobbery.
“You're just as plump as a little partridge” = Plosive alliteration emphasises criticism directed at Stella -
very condescending. Perhaps speaking from her own insecurities.
“Got to be with somebody, can't be alone” = Highlights how she seeks company, with her sister but also
romantically/sexually. Her insecurities and mental state deteriorating.
“You left! I stayed and struggled!” = Mentally and deeply troubled and confined by the past while Stella
reaches out for a new life in a modern world.
“I took the blows in my face and my body!” = Mentally and physically perhaps? She had to sell herself to
live and her reputation dwindled and suffered.
“The music of the polka rises up faint in the distance” = Represents her mental state. The music
symbolises her trauma and the music increases gradually throughout the play to show her mental decline.
Scene 2
“Costume jewelry” = Her superficial clothing symbolises her facade and deceptions. She is still attached
to her upper class life.
“May I have a drag on your cig?” = Flirting with him in an attempt to manipulate him. Sharing a cigarette is
intimate.
“A woman's charm is fifty percent illusion” = Theme of appearance vs reality.
“The touch of your hands insults them!” = Blanche doesn't want her romantic past to be tainted by the
corruption of the present. Stanley ruins the innocence of their young romance by examining them.
“Now that you've touched them I'll burn them!” = As Stanley has tainted them, she believes that only by
destroying them can she make things pure and clean again. Shows how she must destroy her past and
put on a cleaner facade to keep surviving in the present day.
“I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me” = Shows Blanche’s recognition of Stanley’s desires to
hurt her, however she underestimates him.
, “Grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers exchanged the land for their epic fornifications” =
Generations of old south money lost to trivial pursuit such as gambling and sleeping around -
patriarchy/misogyny.
Scene 3
“How do I look?” = Obsession with her appearance and wants to look her best knowing she's about to
meet a lot of men. Her way of securing herself with a potential husband through her looks - expectations
on women.
“He seems superior to the others…is he married?” = Blanche meets Mitch for the first time and
immediately asks about his status showing her priority of finding a husband to financially and emotionally
support her.
“Blanche moves back into the streak of light” = She's keen for the men to see her figure but not her full
body and hides behind the curtains to hide her imperfections. Uses her body to flirt and attract the men,
shows that a woman's appearance was significant in this time period.
“Have you got any cigs?” (To Mitch) = Mirrors convo with Stanley earlier, shows how she can only
communicate through flirting - has become a lifestyle to survive. Cigarettes are phallic imagery.
“I'm not accustomed to having more than one drink” = Dramatic irony as the audience knows she is. Also
shows how she constantly says she doesn't drink in order to hide her addiction, denial of her own
alcoholism.
“We are French by extraction” = Presents an edited version of herself by lying about her ancestry. She
prefers to make up fantasies about herself than telling the truth - fantasy vs reality.
“Stella is my precious little sister” = Dramatic irony again. Lies once again to Mitch - relationship is built on
lies, foreshadowing her relationship is doomed from the start.
“I can't stand a naked bulb” = Motif of light. Blanche dislikes light as it could expose the reality behind her
facade.
“I need kindness now” = Reference to her declining mental state that means she needs people to be kind
to her, or an emotional ploy to manipulate Mitch into liking her, sympathising with her.
Scene 4
“Pull yourself together and face the facts” = Ironic that Blanche is telling Stella this even though she can't
face her own issues - hypocritical.
“Shep Huntleigh” = Begins to hint at her loss of reality, as he represents the life she wishes she could
have had. Symbol Blanches fantasies and delusions.
“Y’know how indifferent i am to money” = Dramatic irony - the audience is aware of Blanche's obsession
with materialistic wealth from the very moment they saw her trunk filled with furs and fancy looking cheap
stuff. Appearance vs reality.
“What you are talking about is brutal desire - just desire!” = Blanche is shocked by Stella and Stanley's
relationship. They would have been used to gentleman.
“He acts like an animal…Something subhuman-something not quite to the stage of humanity” = Simile
shows how she sees Stanley as animalistic. She devalues his human characteristics and shows that she
thinks that she and Stella are superior. SIbilance is used throughout the monologue to emphasise the
urgency of Blanche's tone.
Scene 5
“Myself, myself, for being such a liar!” = Perhaps one of the only moments where Blanche is self aware
and realistic.
“Virgo is the virgin…(Stanley “bah!”) = Ironic as we know it's not true. Stanley knows this isn't true also.
