Streetcar - Key Quotes

• "I am the king around here and don't you ever forget that" - Stanley


  Represents an androcentric society - refers to Huey Long who's slogan was 'Every man a king
• this game is a seven card stud' (Steve)


  analeptic to the card game at the beginning of the play portrays that nothing has changed in terms of masculine dominance.
• "He seizes the atomiser and slams it down on the dresser"


  stage direction displays Stanley's violent behaviour and is proleptic to when he slams down a bottle
• "You've got to be soft and attractive. And I - I'm fading now!" - Blanche - scene 5


  Reflects Blanche's expectations of herself performing the role of the Southern Belle - reflects the androcentric society where women are only viewed sexually - the pause mid sentence displays her holding back of her emotions.

  façade of maintaining a youthful appearance in order to be accepted and appreciated as a women in society. ​
• Stanley opens a bottle and 'a geyser of foam shoots up' - scene 10


  Use of prop draws attention to the phallic imagery emphasising Stanley's sense of power. Analeptic to Blanche 'playfully spraying the atomizer' in scene 2. contrast in description of 'shoots' and 'playfully sprays' - recognises disparities in power.
• his mouth curv[es] slowly into a grin' and his tongue 'protrudes between his lips' - (Stanley) - Stanley - scene 10


  Kinesics are very menacing - reinforces violent threat he poses to Blanche. Contrasts to Bosola who says to the Duchess "look you, the stars shine still." - Motif of light emphasis his growing morality in contrast to Stanley's sadistic enjoyment in his brutal actions.
• "We've had this date with each other from the beginning" - Stanley - scene 10


  Sinister use of diction such as 'date' has its romantic connotations and is antithetical to his intention heightening his madness particularly as his wife is currently in labour.
• Oh! So you want some rough-house! All right, let's have some rough-house! - Stanley - scene 10


  Brutal repetition with repeated exclamatives shows the excitement at his violence. Reinforces his refusal to to acknowledge Blanche's panic.
• [Blanche] 'sinks to her knees' and [Stanley] 'picks up her inert figure'.


  Stage directions - proxemics reinforce his power over her and lack of remorse unlike Ferdinand who says "cover her face. Mine eyes dazzle.' when he views the Duchess' body after her murder. Contemporary audience cheers Stanley's action.
• [Mitch] 'draws her [Blanche] slowly into his arms' - scene 6


  His kinesics and proxemics to Blanche suggest that love is possible. Reinforced by stage directions at the end of the scene - [Blanche's] 'breath is drawn and released in long, grateful gulps'. - Interestingly this scene is placed centrally in the play.
• "You're not clean enough to bring in the house with my mother" - Mitch - scene 9


  Motif of bathing and cleansing throughout the play creates sympathy amongst the audience for Blanche here as it suggests Blanche's to cleanse herself of her past as a Southern Belle is utterly unsuccessful.
• He [Stanley] heaves the package at her [Stella]. She cries out in protest but manages to catch it.' - Scene 1


  Sexual connotations from kinesics 'heav[ing]', along with Stella's response by catching it submitting to his power and control.
• She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and earrings of pearl, white gloves and hat...' - stage directions about Blanche - scene 1


  Plastic elements and colour of clothing emphasise Blanche's fragility. Colour, symbolism, suggest she will struggle to survive in Elysian Fields with Stanley.
• And when he comes home I cry on his lap like a baby." - Stella - scene 1


  Who exclamatives show her excitement around Stanley and acceptance to his power likening herself to that of a 'baby' on his lap. Proxemics suggest a clear power imbalance.
• "I,I,I took the blows in my face and my body! All of those deaths! - Blanche - scene 1


  Semantic field of pain and death foreshadow the tragic outcome for Blanche by the denouement of the play. Emotive language and exclamatives reinforce Blanche's unstable state of mind.
• "Polack!" - Blanche


  Insulting, racist language emphasises the differences between the old south and the new modern America - a society which will lead to the downfall of Blanche.
• "Where's the little women?" - Stanley - scene 1


  This address term is demeaning and patronising - reinforces Stanley's belief that Stella belongs in the domestic sphere.
• "She [Mitch's mother] says to go out, so I go, but I don't enjoy it. All the while I keep wondering how she is." - Mitch - scene 2


  Mitch's use of emotive language emphasises that he is different from other men - aligning him with Blanche who also expresses such emotion.
• "Shut up."..."Aw for the sake of Jesus, go home, then!" - Stanley - scene 2


  Stanley's abrupt imperatives emphasise the hypermasculinity of his world which has no place for such emotion - Mitch therefore is made fun of and forced to conform to Stanley's power leaving him trapped in his hypermasculine world.
• "Stanley gives a loud whack of her thigh...The men laugh. Stella goes into the bedroom" - scene 3


  Kinesics foreshadow violence at the end of the play and emphasise his power and mistreatment of Stella. The men's laughter reinforce their separate spheres and undermines women.
• "Stanley stalks fiercely...He crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he throws the instrument out of the window." - Stanley - scene 3


  Stanley's kinesics and proxemics are predatory - animalistic verbs.
• "I want to go away, I want to go away!" - Stella - Scene 3


  Stella's desperate and panicked tone of voice is emphasised by her repetition and exclamative conveying her entrapment in the domestic sphere with Stanley.
• "Poker shouldn't be played in a house with women." - Mitch - scene 3


  Mitch's calm tone of voice and passive declarative conveys an acceptance at Stanley's violence and the brutal world in which they inhabit.
• "There are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark - that sort of make everything else seem - unimportant." [Pause.] - Stella - scene 4


  Non-fluency features emphasises Stella's passive acceptance of Stanley's fallings - reinforces, therefore, that sexual desire without love can be destructive ultimately.
• "What you are talking about is brutal desire - just Desire!" - Blanche - Scene 4


  Oxymoron & unmitigated declarative - Blanche is ashamed of her desires - she understands that she is 'ruined' as a result of them according to society. Suggests that what she longs for is love
• "He was a boy, just a boy, when I was a very young girl." - Blanche - scene 6


  Repetition of boy and end stop focusing on girl reminds us that this is a memory play and that Blanche has been traumatised at a very young age, explaining possible madness.
• "By coming suddenly into a room that I thought was empty - which wasn't empty, but had two people in it..." - Blanche - scene 6


  Striking pause as if she is remembering what she saw when entering the room.
• "The distant piano goes into a hectic breakdown" - scene 7


  Stage directions and music is a motif used throughout to reflect Blanche's ever declining psychological state.
• "A clatter of aluminum striking a wall is heard, followed by a mans angry roar, shouts and overturned furniture." - Steve & Eunice fighting - scene 5


  Stage directions - indicate domestic violence is a common theme - animalistic imagery created through 'roar' - rule of 3 to signify the chaos caused by such violence.
• "Young man! Young, young, young, young - man!" - Blanche - scene 5


  Repetition of young conveys her desire for her youthful love - flirtatious tone of voice with a young man reduces audiences pity for Blanche.
• "[He seizes her arm.] Don't ever talk that way to me! 'Pig - Polack - disgusting vulgar - greasy!" - Stanley - scene 8


  Feel a sense of sympathy as the list draws attention to the disrespect he as received including racist discrimination. - However stage directions and exclamative highlight his violence and create pity and fear for Blanche and Stella.
• "Ticket! Back to Laurel! On the greyhound! Tuesday!" Stanley - scene 8


  Multiple exclamatives display an excitement by his cruelty - multiple pauses almost to make the process longer and more tormenting for Blanche - exceptionally cruel.
• "El pan de mais, el pan de mais..." - Blanche - scene 8


  Meaningless song repeated 4 time reflects Blanches loss of grip on her sanity
• "Fumbling to embrace her." - Mitch - scene 9


  Stage directions - convey Mitch's attempt to rape Stella - portrays Stanley's infectious violence and how it has rubbed off on Mitch who would never usually behave this way.
• "Yes, swine! Swine! And I'm thinking not only of you but of your friend, Mr Mitchel." - Blanche - scene 10


  Repeated insulting language and exclamatives - 'swine!' - creates a confident tone but also hubris and hamartia by saying this to Stanley in his drunken state and thinking she'll get away with it.
• "Lurid reflections appear on the walls around Blanche. The shadows are of a grotesque menacing form." - scene 10


  Hallucinations and visons portray Blanches ever-growing madness and loss of grip on reality.

  shows are a metaphor for Blanches inner psychology and use of plastic theatre through the shadows is a reference to how death, in specific Allan's, will follow Blanche everywhere as a constant reminder of her true vicious nature.​

  'lurid reflections [that] appear on the walls around Blanche' in a 'grotesque and menacing' form act to build suspense and replicate the internal chaos of Blanche's disordered mind. This stagecraft exploits expressionist theatre/ expressionistic techniques in order to visually symbolise the mental aspects of the play.
• "He tears the paper lantern off the light bulb" - Mitch - scene 9


  Kinesics of tearing the lantern show's his new aggressive behaviour which contrasts to the kind Mitch who helped put the lantern up.
• "I thanked God for you, because you seemed to be gentle..."


  Diction choice of 'seemed' - implies Mitch's conformity to male social norms - also creates a pitiful and sorrow tone.
• "Can - I - uh - kiss you-godnight?" - Mitch - scene 6


  Non fluency features convey Mitch's awkwardness but also desire for Blanche - contrasts to his aggressive actions in scene 9.
• "What have I done to my sister?" - Stella - scene 11


  Shocked tone and interrogative conveys Stella's guilt at sending her sister to a mental institution.