Scene 10

Question 1

Summary of events in scene 10.

Answer 1

• Blanche and Stanley are left alone together, as Stella is still giving birth to the baby at the hospital.
• Stanley rapes Blanche.

Question 2

How is Blanche’s costume presented by Williams in opening stage directions of this scene?

Answer 2

• “soiled and crumpled white satin.”
• Distortion of her purity/ Southern Belleness!

Question 3

How is Stanley’s costume presented by Williams throughout this scene?

Answer 3

• At first: “green silk bowling shirt.”
• Green –> jealous of Blanche (her priveledged life)/ jungle creature/ green = American dollar; linking to The American Dream.
• Bold colour: exerting his masuline dominance.

Question 4

Subtle foreshadowing of Stanley about to rape Blanche throughout this scene.

Answer 4

• “this is all i’m going to undress FOR NOW.”
• “silk pyjamas I wore on my wedding night.” links to violence of wedding niht “smashin light bulbs.”
• “foam shoots up” in stage directions, symbol of ejaculation - like “coke” spilling on Blanche previously.

Question 5

Give example of Blanche lying/ decieving Stanley in this scene.

Answer 5

• Says Mitch “implored my forgiveness.”
• Her denial/ trying to sugarcoat everything.

Question 6

What does Blanche say is unforgivable?

Answer 6

• “deliberate cruelty is not forgivable.”
• Is Blanche every deliberately cruel to anyone in the way Stanley is to her?

Question 7

How is blue paino described in this scene?

Answer 7

• “blue piano drums up louder.”
• New Orleans becoming dominate over The Old South in this ultimate destruction of Old South (symbolically shown through the rape.)
• Builds dramatic tension.

Question 8

Stage directions description of light/ sound effects. Significance.

Answer 8

• “lurid reflections”:
  lurid: associated with her madness.
• “grotesque and menacing shadows.”
• Sound effects: “inhuman voices like cries in a jungle.” Blanche has no where to go to be saved (like in jungle)/ threatening atmosphere Stanley has created.

Question 9

How is locomotive described building up to the rape of Blanche?

Answer 9

• “roar of approaching locomotive.”
• Animal imagery/ industrialisation of America sweeping past Blanche/ symbol of Stanley’s danger.