A Streetcar Named Desire

Scene-by-Scene Questions

 

Scenes 1-3
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?

2. Blanche goes into Stella's apartment to wait for her to come home. What does she do while she is waiting?

3. What does Belle Reve mean? What does it refer to in the play?

4. What does Blanche indicate is her professional job in Laurel? What has happened to her husband?

5. Why does Blanche say that she has left her teaching job to visit Stella?

6. Why does Blanche say that she lost Belle Reve? What explanation does Blanche give for having lost Belle Reve?

7. At the end of Scene One, what music "rises up, faint in the distance"?

8. Near the end of Scene One, what do we learn about Blanche's husband?

9. What is Stanley's initial response to Blanche's visit at the end of Scene One?

10. In Scene Two, Stanley finds out about the loss of Belle Reve. What is his reaction?

11. What does Stanley think that Blanche has done with the money he believes she made from selling Belle Reve?

12. What is the implication of the "Napoleonic Code" as it relates to Stella and Stanley?

13. What does Stanley tell Blanche about Stella as they are going through her business papers?

14. Where are Stella and Blanche going while the men play poker?

15. Sum up the exposition Williams defines for "The Poker Night" scene. Why does Williams integrate the Van Gogh painting? What is the implication of the reference to "primary colours," including the "bold" colours of the linoleum, the shirts, the watermelon - "the raw colours of childhood's spectrum".

16. When Blanche and Stella return to the apartment, the men are still there playing poker. Which one does Stella introduce to Blanche? What does Blanche say about him?

17. Blanche goes to the back room, a bedroom, to relax until the men finish playing. She turns on the radio. Stanley asks her to turn it off, but when she doesn't, what does Stanley do?

18. Why does Blanche lie to Mitch about being younger than Stella? Why doesn't she like bright lights?

19. What happens between Stella and Stanley that ends the poker game?

Characters
20. What kind of relationship do Stella and Stanley have?

21. How does Stanley differ from Blanche?

22. How does Mitch compare and contrast with Stanley?

23. In one of his italicized passages in Scene One, Williams' builds an elaborate description of Stanley Kowalski. What is your impression of Stanley as you have observed him through Scene Two? What is your impression of Stella? of Blanche?

24. Describe the confrontation between Stanley and Blanche in Scene Two.

Symbols
25. Music - The play has many stage directions referring to music. What music and songs are present in the first three scenes? How does the music relate to the characters?

26. Light - Why is the paper lantern important to Blanche?

Scenes 4-6
1. How did Stella say she reacted to Stanley's breaking all the light bulbs on their wedding night?

2. What idea does Blanche have to escape New Orleans with Stella?

3. What analogy does Blanche build in her description of Stanley in Scene Four?

4. When Blanche and Stella are discussing Stanley, his entrance to the apartment is washed out by a passing train. What does he hear Blanche say about him?

5. In Scene Five, Blanche discusses astrological signs. What sign does she think Stanley was born under and why?

6. What sign does she say she was born under? What does it mean?

7. Seemingly out of the blue, Stanley asks Blanche if she knows someone named Shaw. He says that Shaw knew Blanche from Laurel but must have mixed her up with someone else who partied at the Hotel Flamingo. What is Blanche's response?

8. Who is coming over to see Blanche on this night?

9. After Stella and Stanley leave, a young man comes to the door collecting money for the local newspaper, The Evening Star. What does Blanche do to him?

10. Blanche and Mitch discuss Stanley. She asks him if Stanley talks much about her and explains how horrid he is making her life there with them. What does Mitch respond?

11. At the end of Scene Six, Blanche is confiding in Mitch by telling him the story of how her husband died. How did he die? What led to that?

 

Characters
12. Blanche - In Scene Five, Blanche is writing a letter to Shep Huntleight. Why does she not tell him the truth of her situation?

13. Blanche - In Scene Five, we see Blanche drinking again. Why do you think she drinks? (Don't say she's an alcoholic.)

14. Blanche - Why does Blanche flirt with the newspaper boy?

Symbols
15. Music - Where and what kind of music is mentioned in these scenes?

Scenes 7-11
1. It is now mid-September and Blanche's birthday. Stella has prepared a party for her. Stanley lets Stella know that he has learned some things about Blanche. What things?

2. During their talk, Blanche is in the tub and singing. What does she sing about?

3. Who is supposed to come over for Blanche's birthday? Why does Stanley say this person won't be coming?

4. What has Stanley bought for Blanche?

5. Blanche is stood up. They sit talking at the table and Stanley gets angry at Stella for telling him his face and fingers are disgustingly greasy. What does he do in response?

6. What happens at the end of Scene Eight?

7. In Scene Nine, who stops by unexpectedly to see Blanche?

8. Blanche makes a very telling statement about reality. What does she say?

9. What does Blanche admit happened after her husband's death? Why did she say she did this?

10. Why does Mitch say he won't marry Blanche now?

11. Stanley comes home from the hospital. Blanche has been drinking fairly steadily since Mitch left. Who does she tell Stanley she heard from? What invitation does she say he extended?

12. Blanche tells Stanley that Mitch came to see her that night. What does she tell him the reason was?

13. What happens at the end of Scene Ten?

14. Several weeks have passed and Stella is packing Blanche's things. Where does Blanche think she is going? Where is she actually going?

 

Characters
15. Blanche - Why does Stanley want her to leave? How is her presence effecting his marriage?

16. Stanley - How has his relationship with Stella changed? How has his relationship with Blanche changed?

Symbols
17. What do you think is the symbolic meaning of the Mexican woman selling flowers for the dead in Scene Nine?

18. Why does Mitch rip the paper lantern off of the light bulb? What does light represent?

Final Questions

1. Which character do you have the most sympathy for? Why?

2. Only Scene Three is given a title by Williams. Give a title to three other scenes and explain your reasoning for each title.

3. At the beginning of the play, Stanley is bowling and at the end he is playing cards. What does this suggest about his views of life?

4. Did Mitch love Blanche?

5. Why will a woman stay with a man who abuses her?