Blanche Quotes

“Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light…that suggests a moth.”

Metaphor - suggesting Blanche is weak and fragile, and that when she is exposed to reality (light) it leads to her demise.
Zoomorphism - emphasises her fragility as well like a moth attracted to light, her attraction in youthfulness/ beauty will lead to her downfall.

“I know you must have some liquor on the place! Where could it be I wonder?” - Blanche

Dramatic Irony - the audience is aware that Blanche knows where the alcohol is; deception
Theme of Deception - Williams reveals the extent that Blanche is willing to go to keep up with the façade of purity
Idea of Shame - She is reluctant to show her mental distress as she tries to hide her drinking (coping mechanism) due to societal pressures.

“I know, I know…I fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it!” - Blanche

Monologue - this hysterical outburst gives insight into her grief, making the loss of Belle Reve as a traumatic experience.
Repetition of ‘I’ - emphasises her loneliness as well as her belief that Stella abandoned her.
Tricolon - the imagery gets more gory and worsens, similarly to her deterioration.

“freshly bathed and scented, and feeling like a brand new human being“ “I will bathe again“ - Blanche

Motif - Bathing soothes her nerve and presents her obsession with cleanliness, connoting that she is guilty/disturbed about something.
Simile - Conveys that she believes that she has changed and has escaped her reality.

“I can’t stand a naked light bulb“ - Blanche

Theme of light - Blanche wants to hide herself from the light (reality) instead live in a world of fantasy and beauty.
Also she could be using this as a way to appear more beautiful and take control of the setting, winning over Mitch.
Symbol - represents Blanche’s attempt to mask both her sordid past and her present appearance.

“Stella has embraced him…He laughs…lights fade away…music of the ‘blue piano’ is heard”

Peripeteia - This is the turning point of the play; Blanche’s fate is sealed and its the point of no return.
Proxemics - Blanche is by herself as Stella embraces Stanley; Stanley has power here
Light - Represents her hopes of fleeing with Stella fading away and that there is only darkness that lies ahead.
Stanley Laughing - This conveys Stanley’s confidence over Blanche and hints at the fact that he is planning something to get revenge on Blanche.

“Young man! Young, young, young man! … you look like a young Prince” - Blanche

Epizeuxis - Represents her desire for youth and also foreshadows her past relationship with a young student that Stanley reveals to everyone.
Theme of fantasy - By calling him a ‘prince’ she is dragging him into her fantasy where she doesn’t have to face any consequences of her actions.

“voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?“ (Do you want to sleep with me tonight?)

Fantasy - Blanche is pretending to be in Paris; showing that she wants to escape from reality and wishes to be abroad.
Sexual Desire - Blanche wants to sleep with Mitch but is saying it in French as she has a complicated relationship with sex and women of that time could not freely express their sexual desires.