Stella key quotes

“A gentle young woman…of a background obviously quite different from her husband’s”

scene 1

stage directions 

themes of feminity and depdence 

williams establishing how blanche is quiet and reserved with little direct information about her appearance or character, this then enforces how she is defined by her relationships with more dominant characters such as Blanche or Stanley. 

“I like to wait on you, Blanche. It makes it seem more like home”

scene 5

Stella commenting on how their relationship is defined by blanche being domaint, but the implication of “home” reminds us of how both sisters remember belle reve, only she has committed herself to stanley.

“You needn’t be so cruel to someone as alone as she is” + “Nobody, nobody, was as trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, and forced her to change”

scene 8

shows her divided loyalty ; stands up against her shitty husband to defend blanche condemning him.

“Luxurious sobbing”

scene 11

theme of feminity and depdence 

describes her reaction to blanche being taken away, with the adjective choice highlighting how her sobbing is self-indulgent as realisticly she had no control over blanche’s removal to the hospital.

demonstrates how normalised, systemic and common place domestic abuse was in post war America as Eunice is also described crying like this.

“There are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark- that sort of make everything else seem- unimportant”

scene 4

post poker party and return to stanley, Stella reveals that she has no plans to leave him as while he is both working class and occasionally abusive their sexual passion/love is strong.

essentially, sexually driven and is attracted to the bestial nature (much like her sister); yet is more pragmatic than blanche as while her sister suggests leaving Stella knows its simply not practical.

her roundabout way of dicusssing sex (using semantic field of shadows and euphemisms) around blanche is ironic as the only reason her sister is there is because of her promiscuity.

“I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley”

scene 11

spoken to Eunice; shows how divided Stella is, while also underscoring her pragmatism as she’d be a single mother of a newborn making providing for herself difficult- so stanley is the safest bet for a home/comfort/ protection from social stigma- but also as Eunice supports her delusion about her husband’s true nature is reinforces the construction of reality making Stella the deluded one now.

“Your face and fingers are disustingly greasy. Go and wash up and then help me clear the table”

Scene 8

occasionally asserts herself with stanley, using imperatives and clear commands in what is supposed to be her domain.

a reversal of the opening scene as context is that Stan is eating a pork chop and instead of laughing/enjoying it she’s annoyed at his messiness. reversal shows how blanche has inadvertently increased the pre-existing tensions in the house.    

“Oh, it had to be- sacrificed or something”

scene 2

she’s vague about belle reve, emphasing how she doesn't know much about it to a)hopefully reduce Stanley’s violence/anger towards her and b)cement how she is more off the new modern New Orleans then is of belle reve suggesting losing that part of her idendity

“Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for Star!”

scene 1

blanche’s repetition and reiteration of the latin translation of Stella ests how she is the guiding light/moral compass for blanche as she has the stability blanche craves.

“You hear me? I said stand up (Stella complies reluctantly)”

scene 1

demonstrates how the main relationships in her life are based around her being the submissive one, suggesting a reason why she first dated stanley. 

“You- in bed with your polack”

scene 1

both sisters use their sexualitys to survive- and showing blanche’s hypocrisy and emontial baggage as lashing out. 

“You’d better give me money”

scene 2

spoken to stanley showing her economic depedence on him with the stark possibility of finical abuse that could be later exploited

“Since when do you give me orders”

scene 2

stanley’s shock at being told what to do by Stella highlights how typically she’s soft spoken and is the submissive partner.

“sort of- thrilled by it”

scene 4

accepted that staney is violent and likes it

“her face is serene in the early morning light”

scene 4

crucial abuse cycle as the sun will rise like Stella will return- dependent on stanley for everything so is drawn back and this is the start of a new cycle before more abuse.

“her belly rounding in the new maternity”

scene 4 stage directions

proof of how sex unites them as now the biological product will forever tie stanley to her life

“Her eyes and lids have that almost narcotised tranquility”

scene 4 stage directions

stanley is a drug to Stella that she can’t withdraw from and implies tha drugs are a way to live with stanley, and distract herself. AO3 of how housewives in 1950s used drugs and alcohol to distract themselves from the boredm and monotony of life; as a new American man moving out to the suburbs is the next logical move.

“a book of coloured comics”

scene 4 stage directions

she’s shutting off her prefrontal cortex, and reducing herself to stanlyey’s education level (presumably same educadtion as blanche) to aclimitase herself to NO.

“That’s much more practical”

scene 5

in responce to Eunice (her future) saying she wants to drink. highlights the normilation of DV, and ties into AO3 as alcohol and drug consumption increased in response to the rise of the nuclear family.

alcohol to numb away the pain.