A Streetcar Named Desire Quotes+Elaborations Upon Blanches arrival at Elysian Fields, her and Stella chat and catch

h up on each others lives. One particular subject of their conversation is Stanley, Stellas husband. P. 24-25: Stella: Hes on the road a good deal. Blanche: Oh. Travels? Stella: Yes. Blanche: Good. I mean isnt it? Stella [half to herself]: I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night . . . Blanche: Why, Stella! Stella: When hes away for a week I nearly go wild! Blanche: Gracious! Stella: And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby . . . [She smiles to herself.] Blanche and Stella show contrasting views at the fact that Stanley travels a lot. While Blanche views it positively, Stella admits that she cannot bear his absence. Stellas use of a simile to compare herself to a crying baby shows her childlike dependence on Stanley. She relies on him to keep her content, even though he tends to disrespect her. Stella is speaking as if Stanley were the parent and she were the child, which is ironic, seeing as how Stanley hardly takes care of her. Instead, she is the one taking care of Stanley. The stage action indicating that she is smiling to herself depicts the normality of the fact that she relies on Stanley. After the fight between Stella and Stanley cools down, Stella returns to her husband. Blanche, utterly surprised, explains her emotions to Mitch. P. 60-61: Mitch: All quiet on the Potomac now? Blanche: She ran downstairs and went back in there with him. Mitch: Ho-ho! Theres nothing to be scared of. Theyre crazy about each other. Blanche: [During the pause, she looks up at the sky] Theres so much so much confusion in the world [He coughs diffidently] Thank you for being so kind! I need kindness now. Mitch uses a poetic allusion when asking Blanche if all is quiet on the Potomac. He is referring to a poem written in the 1880s called All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight it is a poem written in context of the civil war. Blanche is surprised that Stella returned to Stanley after he abused her. Mitch, to Blanches shock, explains the normality of the situation. Again, opposing views between Blanche and Stella are shown. Blanche is clearly confused, and she cannot seem to understand Stellas dependence on Stanley. However, Blanche is also dependent, in her own way. Like Stella depends on Stanley for contentment, Blanche depends on kindness, perhaps from Mitch. Her dependence on kindness is repeated at the end of the play, when she is speaking to the doctor on her way to the mental hospital. It can be said that Blanches dependence on the kindness of people helped drag her into a downwards spiral of misery and, perhaps, insanity. The morning after the poker game and the fight, Blanche visits Stella to speak her mind and figure out what Stellas mentality is.

P. 63-64: Blanche: How could you come back in this place last night? Why, you must have slept with him! Stella: I know how it must have seemed to you and Im awful sorry it had to happen, but it wasnt anything as serious as you seem to take it. In the first place, when men are drinking and playing poker anything can happen. Its always a powder-keg. He didnt know what he was doing. . . . He was as good as a lamb when I came back and hes really very, very ashamed of himself. Blanche: And that that makes it all right? Stella: No, it isnt all right for anybody to make such a terrible row, but people do sometimes. Stanleys always smashed things. Why, on our wedding night soon as we came in here he snatched off one of my slippers and rushed about the place smashing the light bulbs with it. Blanche: And you you let him? Didnt run, didnt scream? Stella: I was sort of thrilled by it. Blanche and Stella portray their opinions, each being at opposite extremes. Blanche completely opposes Stanleys behaviour, while Stella accepts it and creates excuses for it. Blanche is unable to understand why Stella allows herself to be treated poorly, but Stella explains that she is not hurt by it rather, she is thrilled. In this case, Blanche is seen as a stronger woman than Stella. Although Stella was strong enough to return to Stanley, despite all that hes done, she was not strong in the sense that she lustfully depends on Stanley and can not stand up to him. Stella mentions that Stanley has had a history of wildness, which was even present during their newlywed days. Stellas dependence is further exemplified as the audience notes that she has not left Stanley from the beginning. She is not frightened, but she is excited instead. The two sisters continue to talk about Stanley, both disagreeing about their opinions regarding Stanley. P. 64-65: Blanche: In my opinion? Youre married to a madman! Stella: No! Blanche: Yes, you are, your fix is worse than mine is! Only youre not being sensible about it. Im going to do something. Get hold of myself and make myself a new life! But youve given in. And that isnt right, youre not old! You can get out. Stella [slowly and emphatically]: Im not in anything I want to get out of. Look at the mess in this room! And those empty bottles! They went through two cases last night! He promised this morning that he was going to quit having these poker parties, but you know how long such a promise is going to keep Oh well, its his pleasure, like mine is movies and bridge. People have got to tolerate each others habits, I guess. Blanche advises Stella to get out and start a clean slate, like she is. However, Stella argues that she is satisfied in her marriage with Stanley. Her need for Stanley is depicted through the fact that she wishes to remain in the relationship with him, even though Blanche calls him a madman. Blanches metaphorical use of the word fix perfectly shows Stellas need for Stanley, as the word can be easily associated with drugs. In that connotation Stanley is considered to be Stellas drug, and, although he is harmful to her, she needs her constant fix. Stella is not so much concerned about the implications, she is much more concerned about having her fix a dose of Stanley.

Blanche comes up with a solution to all of the problems, most of which revolve around Stanley Kowalski. The answer? Money. P. 66-67: Blanche: Weve got to get hold of some money, thats the way out! Listen to me. I have an idea of some kind. [Shakily she twists a cigarette into her holder] Do you remember Shep Huntleigh? [Stella shakes her head] Of course you remember Shep Huntleigh. I ran into Shep Huntleigh I ran into him on Biscayne Boulevard, on Christmas Eve, about dusk . . . getting into his car Cadillac convertible; must have been a block long! He has [oil wells], all over Texas. Texas is literally spouting gold in his pockets. Yknow how indifferent I am to money. I think of money in terms of what it does for you. But he could do it, he could certainly do it! Stella: Do what, Blanche? Blanche: Why set us up in a shop! Blanche immediately turns to Shep Huntleigh as a means to get money. Her dependence on him is solely for her own gain and his loss. She is dependent on him, in that she hopes it will bring her a better, and wealthier, future. Stella, however, does not get the picture without having Blanche explain it to her. Again, opposing extents of dependence can be seen within the two women.