Suddenly Stella tells Stanley to take her to the hospital. Blanche sticks her head out of the bathroom asking for another towel. He now has all the information he needs to prove again his superiority over her. Stella begins poking candles into the birthday cake, saying that she will stop at twenty-five. She compares the neighborhood to a story by Edgar Allan Poe.
Even if he is vulgar, he feels that his life cannot hold a candle to the type of life Blanche has been leading. However, although it seems as it will be a happy day, it turns out another way. He is raging about the good old days and about being the king of his castle, but the moment he sees that something's wrong with Stella, his bluster and venom melts away. Must I speak more plainly? Blanche further antagonizes Stanley, destroying his good humor, and he responds by mercilessly destroying Blanche's illusions, one by one, until finally he rapes her. To some extent, Blanche brought her fate upon herself by leading a promiscuous and almost deranged life, in spite of the genteel morality to which she pays lip service. Instead, he feels some manly obligation to inform Mitch of Blanche's past life.
He approaches her, making advances, wanting what she has denied him all summer. Stanley's last remarks make it apparent that before the arrival of Blanche, things were going fine between them. GradeSaver, 11 August 2008 Web. The hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly - Subdues poker game; Stella and Eunice talk - 'I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley', 'Don't ever believe it. Williams has cleverly integrated this clichéd image to reinforce further the mockery that Stanley feels he needs to use to stand being around Blanche and her habits. Stanley tells her that he told Mitch what he learned about Blanche and he won't be coming over.
It is this desire which drives her pretences, her delusions and the majority of her deceptions and it is possible that without this constant desire for a better world, the real world would have seemed less coarse and Blanche would have been better able to accept its realities. Stanley offers her a birthday present — a bus ticket back to Laurel. He goes into the bathroom and slams the door. Blanche is unlikely to have spoken so plainly about Stanley to Stella if she had known he was there. Blanche is in the bathroom, taking yet another hot bath to calm her nerves.
We learn that Blanche was once married, when she was very young, but her husband died, leaving her widowed and alone. This is seen through the character Stanley. Despite her beautiful illusion, the outside world remains cruel to her — Stanley is actually nailing her lies while she is enjoying her hot bath. But Stella has stopped listening — the baby is coming. An alternative reading is that Blanche was simply using her sexuality to find some security and comfort rather than being driven by desire, but it is still clear that sex and sexuality, whatever the motive, is what tarnished her reputation in Laurel. She came to be regarded as crazy person by the townspeople, and her home was declared off-limits to soldiers at a nearby base.
Themes Male vs female conflict Stanley is once again the one in power in the scene. Blanche and Stanley see each other as enemies, and Blanche turns increasingly to alcohol for comfort. When Blanche emerges, she notices that something has happened and is frightened. He is certain that she has no intention of returning to Laurel. Only Stella and Blanche are left onstage.
The protagonist in the play Streetcar Named Desire is Blanche DuBois. First thing first, who is the protagonist?. Get used to the uncomfortable vibe. And Stanley reveals that he bought a bus ticket to send Blanche back to Laurel on Tuesday. She did not resign from her teaching position.
Stanley had been off on his tangent, off in his world, but when Stella needs him he is immediately with her, completely, and Blanche is forgotten. There, her behavior was so inappropriate—even for a seedy place like the Flamingo—that they made her turn in her key and leave. Stella insists upon an explanation. A Streetcar Named Desire Scene 7 is offstage in the soaking in a hot tub. The hotel asked her to leave, presumably for immoral behavior unacceptable even by the standards of that establishment. Blanche tells a lame joke about a parrot and a priest, but no one laughs. Stanley surmises that Blanche, having lost her reputation, her place of residence, and her job, had no choice but to wash up in New Orleans.
Blanche, herself, has a shady past that she keeps close to the vest. I need kindness now' - Stella 'narcotised tranquillity' the morning after - Blanche's nervous agitation; Stella tells her abt the marriage and Blanche tries to tempt Stella away from Stanley - Shep Huntleigh - The overhearing scene - Stanley overhears Blanche describe him as a 'survivor of the stone age' - Stella and Stanley embrace and Stanley grins at Blanche; the blue piano; trumpet and drums - Blanche writes a letter to Shep - Eunice and Steve fight - Star signs and Stanley asks if Blanche knows anyone called Shaw; Blanche confides in Stella ' I've run for protection from under one leaky roof to another leaky roof' her hysterical scream when the coke is spilt - Blanche and the young man - Mitch arrives with roses; 'My Rosenkavalier! Stanley is right about her, of course. Remember when Blanche said to herself that she needed to be good and keep her hands off children? He gives her a bus ticket one-way back to her town. The polka music begins to play as Blanche is unable to do anything except flee from the room. It seems to represent the moods in the play. But the town was too small for this to go on forever! The Kowalski apartment is in a poor but charming neighborhood in the French Quarter.