Stella and Blanche

• Main Premise

  • Stella's Relationship with Blanche is completely contradictory with her relationship with Stanley
  • Cannot Co-Exist
  • Leaving Stella in Liminal Space between then as she refuses to ruin her relationship with either
• Paragraph One

  • Whilst seeming to fall back into sisterly dynamic
  • Williams presents her to have changed (Clothes & Collar)
  • Showing her to existing in liminality'
  • damaging Blanches expectation of sisterly relationship
• Paragraph Two

  • Attempts to remain in liminality
  • Makes choice to defend Stanley in response to Blanches insults (indirectly/directly) (foreshadows ultimate decision)
  • Scene 5 ostensibly fixed (call back to Belle Reve)
  • undercurrent of damage
  • Blanche suspicious of Stella believing Stanley
• Paragraph 3

  • Despite illusion of choice she couldn't have chose sisterly relationship over her husband
  • Whenever defending Blanche he would get violent (Scene 3)
  • Reminders of how she is tethered to him (labour)
  • Whilst may come as shock to modern audiences
  • Contextual factors makes it unsurprising (single mother - no means of income - victim blaming)
• Conclusion

  • Sisters relationship heavily affected by the patriarchal society they are within
  • Choose security of Stanley over risk of believing & protecting relationship with sister
  • Still attempts to protect her - 'I will go with you'
  • Regret - 'what have I done with my sister' 'Blanche! Blanche, Blanche!'