Lamda scene 2 - streetcar

b - Stella?

hmm?

b - baby, my baby sister

Blanche what is the matter with you

b - hes left?

Stan? yes

b - will he be back?

hes gone to get the car greased. why?

b - … i started to rush in after you

im glad you didn’t

b - what were you thinking of, answer me, what, what

please, blanche, sit down and stop yelling

b - …why you must’ve slept with him

blanche id forgotten how excitable you are. Youre making much to much fuss about this

b - am i

yes you are Blanche i know how it must have seemed to you and im awful sorry it had to happen but it wasn’t 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 didn’t know what he was doing, he was as good as a lamb when i came back and hes really very very ashamed of himself

b - and that that makes it all right?

no it isn’t 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

b - he did what

he smashed all the lightbulbs with the heel of my slipper

b - and you you let him didn’t run didn’t scream

i was sort of thrilled by it. eunice and you had breakfast?

b - do you suppose i wanted any breakfast

there’s some coffee left on the stove

b - youre so matter of fact about it stella

what other can i be?hes taken the radio to get it fixed. it didn’t land on the pavement so only one tube was smashed

b - and your standing there smiling

what do you want me to do

b - pull yourself together and face the facts

what are they, in your opinion?

b - in my opinion, youre married to a madman

no

b - …get hold of myself and make myself a new life

yes?

b - but you’ve given in and that isn’t right youre not old you can get out

im not in anything i was to get out of

b - what - stella?

i said im not in anything that i have a desire to get out of. look at the mess in this room, and those empty bottles, they went through to cases last night, he promised this morning that he was going to quite 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 eachothers habits i guess

b - …is this a chinese philosophy you’ve cultivated

is what - what?

b - …are you deliberately shaking that thing in my face

no

b - stop it let go of that broom i won’t have you cleaning up for him

then who’s going to do it then, are you

b - i i

no i didn’t think so

b - …we’ve got to get hold of some money, that’s the way out

i guess that money is always nice to get hold of

b - … i went out with him at college and wore his pin for a while, well

well?

b - …you know i went to miami during the christmas holidays

no

b - …thinking id meet someone with a million dollars

did you?

b - …cadillac convertible must have been a block long

i should think it would’ve been - inconvenient in traffic

b - you’ve heard of oil wells

yes - remotely

b - …texas is literally spouting gold in his pockets

my my

b - …but he couldd do it he could certainly do it

do what blanche

b - why set us up in a shop

what kind of shop

b - …what his wife throws away at the races

hes married?

b - …operator, western union

that’s a dial phone honey

b - i cant dial im too

just dial o

b - o?

yes o for operator

b - …sister and i in desperate situation

i beg your pardon

b - …you never get anywhere with direct appeals

don’t be so ridiculous darling

b - …sixty five measly cents in cow of the realm

stanley doesn’t give me a regular allowance, he likes to pay bills himself, but this morning he gave me ten dollars to smooth things over, you take five of it, blanche and ill keep the rest

b - oh no stella no

i know how it helps your morale just having a little pocket money on you

b -no thank you ill take to the streets

talk sense, how did you happen to get so low on funds

b - …sometime today ive got to get hold of a bromo

ill fix you one now

b - no not yet ive got to keep thinking

i wish you’d just let things go at least for a while

b - …with just those curtains between us

blanche you saw him at his worst last night

b - …and that’s your job, not mine

after you’ve rested a little you’ll see it’d going to work out, you don’t have to worry about anything while youre here, i mean, expenses

b - i have to plan for both of us to get us both out

you take it for granted that im in something that i wasn’t to get out of

b - …and these poker players impossible to live with

well youre taking entirely too much fro granted

b - i can’t believe youre in earnest

no?

b - i understand how it happened a little you saw him in uniform an officer not here but

im not sure it would have made any difference where i saw him

b - …if i do ill laugh in your face

i am not going to to say anything more at all about it

b - alright then don’t

but there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark that sort of make everything else seem unimportant

b - …up one old narrow street and down another

haven’t you ever ridden on that street car

b - …where im ashamed to be

then don’t you think your superior attitude is a bit out of place

b - …but live with have a child by

i have told you i love him

b - then i tremble for you, i just tremble for you

i cant help your trembling if you insist on trembling

b - may i speak plainly

yes do go ahead as plainly as you want to

b - well if you’ll forgive me hes common

why yes i suppose he is

b - … youre hating me saying this aren’t you

go on and say it all blanch