Summary:
- Stella and Blanche are in the bedroom on an August afternoon
- Blanche breaks out in laughter at the untruthfulness of the letter she has just finished
writing to Shep Huntleigh, prompting Stella to ask her about the letter’s contents
- Blanche gleefully reads the letter aloud. In it, she suggests that she visit Shep in Dallas,
and she claims that she and Stella have been amusing themselves with society parties
and visits to luxurious country homes
- Stella finds no humour in her sister’s stories
- Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of Steve and Eunice fighting upstairs
- Eunice accuses Steve of infidelity with a white girl who is blonde and cries out as he
begins to beat her
- After a huge noise, Eunice runs out of her flat, yelling that she is going to the police
- Stanley, returning home from bowling, asks Stella why Eunice is so distraught
- Stella says that Eunice has had a fight with Steve, and she asks whether Eunice is with
the police
- Stanley replies that he has just seen her at the bar around the corner, having a drink
- Stella responds lightheartedly that alcohol is a “more practical” cure than the police for
Eunice’s woes
- Steve comes downstairs nursing a bruise on his forehead, inquires after Eunice’s
whereabouts, and grumpily hurries off to the bar
- In the Kowalski apartment, Stanley and Blanche have a tense conversation
- First, she asks of his star sign and he doesn’t know what they are
- Stanley is unusually rude to Blanche
- He insinuates that he has acquired knowledge of Blanche’s past and asks her if she
knows a certain man named Shaw
- Blanche falters immediately at the mention of Shaw’s name and answers evasively,
replying that there are many Shaws in the world
- Stanley goes on to say that the Shaw he met often travels to Blanche’s hometown of
Laurel, Mississippi, and that Shaw claims Blanche was often the client of a disreputable
hotel called the Flamingo which is where prostitutes go
- Blanche fiercely denies Stanley’s accusation and insists that Shaw must have confused
her with someone else
- Stanley says he will check with Shaw the next time he sees him
- Eunice and Steve stroll back to their apartment, affectionately wrapped in each other’s
arms
- Stanley then heads off to the bar, telling Stella to meet him there
- Stanley’s remarks leave Blanche horribly shaken, but Stella doesn’t seem to notice
- Blanche demands to know what people in town have been saying about her, but Stella
has no idea what Blanche is talking about
- Blanche confesses that she has behaved badly during the past two years, the period
when she was losing Belle Reve
- She criticises herself for not being self-sufficient and describes herself as “soft,” claiming
that she has to rely on Chinese lanterns and light colours to make herself “shimmer and
glow.”
, - She then admits that she no longer has the youth or beauty to glow in the soft light
- Offering Blanche a soda, Stella responds that she doesn’t like to hear such depressing
talk
- Blanche says that she wants a shot of alcohol to put in the Coke
- She tries to get it herself, but Stella insists on waiting on her, claiming that she likes to do
so because it reminds her of their childhood
- Blanche becomes hysterical and promises to leave soon, before Stanley throws her out
- Stella calms her for a moment, but when she accidentally spills a little soda on Blanche’s
skirt, Blanche lets out a shriek
- Blanche tries to laugh off the fact that she is shaking, claiming that she feels nervous
about her date that evening with Mitch
- She explains that she hasn’t been honest with him about her age and that she feels she
lacks the forces of attraction her youthful beauty once provided her
- She has not gone to bed with him because she wants Mitch’s respect, but she’s worried
he will lose interest in her
- She is convinced that she must maintain her act if Mitch is to love her
- She wants him very badly and says she needs him as a stabilizing force and as her
ticket away from Elysian Fields
- As Stanley comes around the corner, yelling for Stella, Steve, and Eunice, Stella assures
Blanche that everything will work out
- She gives Blanche a kiss and then runs off to join Stanley at the bar
- Sipping her drink, Blanche sits alone in the apartment and waits for Mitch
- A young man comes to the door to collect money for the newspaper
- Blanche flirts with him, offers him a drink, and launches a seduction
- The young man is uncomfortable and nervous
- Blanche declares that he looks like an Arabian prince, then kisses him on the lips and
sends him on his way, saying, “I’ve got to be good- and keep my hands off children.”
- A few moments later, Mitch appears with a bunch of rose
- Blanche accepts the flowers with much fanfare, while Mitch glows
Quotes:
- “Stanley comes around the corner in his green and scarlet silk bowling shirt”
➔ Bright, bold colours like green and scarlet are attention grabbing and symbolise his
physicality and confidence
➔ Scarlet (red) is often associated with passion, aggression, or danger, all of which are
central to Stanley's personality and foreshadow the rape that unfolds later
➔ The fact that he’s turning a corner symbolically suggests a shift or escalation- possibly
the turning point in the power struggle between him and Blanche as he soon reveals that
she worked as a prostitute
- “Her face expresses a faint shock. She reaches for the cologne bottle and
dampens her handkerchief as she answers carefully”
➔ She uses alcohol to cope in this moment
➔ “Carefully” suggests she needs to word her lies in a way that means she won’t get
caught
- Stella and Blanche are in the bedroom on an August afternoon
- Blanche breaks out in laughter at the untruthfulness of the letter she has just finished
writing to Shep Huntleigh, prompting Stella to ask her about the letter’s contents
- Blanche gleefully reads the letter aloud. In it, she suggests that she visit Shep in Dallas,
and she claims that she and Stella have been amusing themselves with society parties
and visits to luxurious country homes
- Stella finds no humour in her sister’s stories
- Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of Steve and Eunice fighting upstairs
- Eunice accuses Steve of infidelity with a white girl who is blonde and cries out as he
begins to beat her
- After a huge noise, Eunice runs out of her flat, yelling that she is going to the police
- Stanley, returning home from bowling, asks Stella why Eunice is so distraught
- Stella says that Eunice has had a fight with Steve, and she asks whether Eunice is with
the police
- Stanley replies that he has just seen her at the bar around the corner, having a drink
- Stella responds lightheartedly that alcohol is a “more practical” cure than the police for
Eunice’s woes
- Steve comes downstairs nursing a bruise on his forehead, inquires after Eunice’s
whereabouts, and grumpily hurries off to the bar
- In the Kowalski apartment, Stanley and Blanche have a tense conversation
- First, she asks of his star sign and he doesn’t know what they are
- Stanley is unusually rude to Blanche
- He insinuates that he has acquired knowledge of Blanche’s past and asks her if she
knows a certain man named Shaw
- Blanche falters immediately at the mention of Shaw’s name and answers evasively,
replying that there are many Shaws in the world
- Stanley goes on to say that the Shaw he met often travels to Blanche’s hometown of
Laurel, Mississippi, and that Shaw claims Blanche was often the client of a disreputable
hotel called the Flamingo which is where prostitutes go
- Blanche fiercely denies Stanley’s accusation and insists that Shaw must have confused
her with someone else
- Stanley says he will check with Shaw the next time he sees him
- Eunice and Steve stroll back to their apartment, affectionately wrapped in each other’s
arms
- Stanley then heads off to the bar, telling Stella to meet him there
- Stanley’s remarks leave Blanche horribly shaken, but Stella doesn’t seem to notice
- Blanche demands to know what people in town have been saying about her, but Stella
has no idea what Blanche is talking about
- Blanche confesses that she has behaved badly during the past two years, the period
when she was losing Belle Reve
- She criticises herself for not being self-sufficient and describes herself as “soft,” claiming
that she has to rely on Chinese lanterns and light colours to make herself “shimmer and
glow.”
, - She then admits that she no longer has the youth or beauty to glow in the soft light
- Offering Blanche a soda, Stella responds that she doesn’t like to hear such depressing
talk
- Blanche says that she wants a shot of alcohol to put in the Coke
- She tries to get it herself, but Stella insists on waiting on her, claiming that she likes to do
so because it reminds her of their childhood
- Blanche becomes hysterical and promises to leave soon, before Stanley throws her out
- Stella calms her for a moment, but when she accidentally spills a little soda on Blanche’s
skirt, Blanche lets out a shriek
- Blanche tries to laugh off the fact that she is shaking, claiming that she feels nervous
about her date that evening with Mitch
- She explains that she hasn’t been honest with him about her age and that she feels she
lacks the forces of attraction her youthful beauty once provided her
- She has not gone to bed with him because she wants Mitch’s respect, but she’s worried
he will lose interest in her
- She is convinced that she must maintain her act if Mitch is to love her
- She wants him very badly and says she needs him as a stabilizing force and as her
ticket away from Elysian Fields
- As Stanley comes around the corner, yelling for Stella, Steve, and Eunice, Stella assures
Blanche that everything will work out
- She gives Blanche a kiss and then runs off to join Stanley at the bar
- Sipping her drink, Blanche sits alone in the apartment and waits for Mitch
- A young man comes to the door to collect money for the newspaper
- Blanche flirts with him, offers him a drink, and launches a seduction
- The young man is uncomfortable and nervous
- Blanche declares that he looks like an Arabian prince, then kisses him on the lips and
sends him on his way, saying, “I’ve got to be good- and keep my hands off children.”
- A few moments later, Mitch appears with a bunch of rose
- Blanche accepts the flowers with much fanfare, while Mitch glows
Quotes:
- “Stanley comes around the corner in his green and scarlet silk bowling shirt”
➔ Bright, bold colours like green and scarlet are attention grabbing and symbolise his
physicality and confidence
➔ Scarlet (red) is often associated with passion, aggression, or danger, all of which are
central to Stanley's personality and foreshadow the rape that unfolds later
➔ The fact that he’s turning a corner symbolically suggests a shift or escalation- possibly
the turning point in the power struggle between him and Blanche as he soon reveals that
she worked as a prostitute
- “Her face expresses a faint shock. She reaches for the cologne bottle and
dampens her handkerchief as she answers carefully”
➔ She uses alcohol to cope in this moment
➔ “Carefully” suggests she needs to word her lies in a way that means she won’t get
caught
