streetacr sceens 1-4

Which two streetcar lines does Blanche ride to reach Elysian Fields?

Desire, then Cemeteries (desire leads to death, and she ends up in Elysian Fields, a paradise)

What does Blanche do as soon as she is alone in Stella's apartment (Scene 1)?

She finds Stanley's whiskey, drinks a glass quickly, and then hides that she drank it

What reason does Blanche give for coming to New Orleans?

She says she is on leave from teaching English in Laurel, Mississippi, because of her nerves (a cover story)

What does Blanche reveal about Belle Reve in Scene 1?

It has been lost; she blames Stella for leaving her to deal with the dying relatives and the debts

How is Stanley introduced in Scene 1?

He tosses a package of bloody meat to Stella, which shows his raw, animal physicality

What is Stanley's background and work?

Polish-American, working-class machine-parts salesman who bowls and plays poker; proud, self-made, and the opposite of Blanche's faded Southern gentility

Which law does Stanley invoke in Scene 2 to demand the Belle Reve papers?

The Napoleonic Code (in Louisiana, a wife's property belongs to her husband)

What is Blanche doing when Stanley confronts her about the estate in Scene 2?

Taking a bath; her frequent baths are a motif of her longing to feel clean and renewed

What does Stanley find in Blanche's trunk in Scene 2?

Fancy dresses, furs, and jewelry that he assumes are expensive and bought with Stella's money; Blanche says it is costume jewelry

What do the Belle Reve papers actually show?

The estate was mortgaged and lost bit by bit to pay for funerals and debts; Blanche is not the thief Stanley imagines

What are the bundled letters Blanche won't give Stanley in Scene 2?

Love poems from her dead young husband, Allan Grey (a hint at her tragic past)

What news does Stanley tell Blanche about Stella in Scene 2?

Stella is pregnant

What happens in Scene 3 (the poker night)?

Stanley and his friends play poker at the Kowalski apartment, with lots of drinking and heat

Who is Mitch, and how does Blanche react to him?

Stanley's army buddy and co-worker; he is shy, polite, and gentle, and lives with his sick mother; Blanche flirts with him as a possible escape

What does Blanche do to the bare light bulb in Scene 3, and why does it matter?

She covers it with a paper lantern because harsh light exposes her age and past; light symbolizes truth versus illusion

What sets off Stanley's violence in Scene 3?

Blanche turns on the radio; Stanley throws it out the window, then hits the pregnant Stella

Where do Stella and Blanche go after Stanley hits Stella, and what happens next?

Upstairs to Eunice's apartment; Stanley, drunk and sorry, shouts "Stella!" from the courtyard, and she comes down and returns to him (a cycle of violence and forgiveness)

How does Stella react in Scene 4, the morning after?

She is calm, even content, and shrugs off the violence; she says she is physically drawn to Stanley, which shocks Blanche

Who is Shep Huntleigh, and what does Blanche propose in Scene 4?

A rich old admirer (an oil millionaire); Blanche wants to ask him for money to rescue Stella, but Stella refuses

How does Scene 4 end, and what does Stanley overhear?

He overhears Blanche calling him common, ape-like, and subhuman; Stella embraces him and the conflict between Stanley and Blanche is now open