268 A Streetcar Named Desire CHARACTERS Blanche DuBois enters. She is carrying a small Landlady The Landlady, who is also referred to suitcase and a piece of paper. She is a fading as Miss Gallaway, is a middle-aged woman who Southern belle, whose appearance suggests she is runs a boardinghouse. Because her husband is an going to a garden party, but her search for her sis- invalid, she seeks out sexual relationships with her ter, Stella, has landed her in the slums of the male boarders. She plays the balalaika and hates French Quarter. Eunice notices the confused Musso’s cat, Nitchevo. Blanche, and she asks whether she is lost. Blanche explains that she was instructed to take a streetcar Musso A frail and weak man who is given the named Desire to Elysian Fields via a streetcar nickname “Musso” by his Landlady. When Musso called Cemetery. Eunice informs her that she is moves into Miss Gallaway’s boardinghouse he indeed in the right place. Eunice lets her into the befriends the cat Nitchevo, who also occupies his Kowalskis’ apartment to wait for Stella while the room. Negro Woman fetches Stella from the bowling alley. Blanche has arrived unannounced, and she Old Man He is the father-in-law of the Land- is shocked to discover Stella living in such a dis- lady. An alcoholic, the Old Man is thrown out of mal place. the boardinghouse for fraternizing with the tenants Blanche searches for a drink, and Stella enters. late one night. The two sisters are ecstatic to be reunited. Blanche speaks excitedly, overwhelming Stella with criti- cism of the apartment. Stella is speechless and hurt by these remarks, and she notices that Blanche is shaking and anxious. Stella is concerned by her sis- A Streetcar Named Desire ter’s behavior, and she attempts to calm her nerves by offering her a drink. Blanche urges Stella to A full-length play written in 1947. explain why she is living in such depressing condi- SYNOPSIS tions. Blanche says she has taken a leave of absence from her high school teaching job. She says that The setting is an old house that has been turned she is having a difficult time and needed a break. into two apartments. It is located in Elysian Fields, Blanche mentions the weight Stella has gained, a section of the French Quarter of New Orleans. and she compliments her on her appearance; how- The action takes place in the downstairs two-room ever, Stella knows that her sister is being critical. apartment rented by the Kowalskis. Blanche demands that Stella stand so she can fully Scene 1 analyze the size of her hips, her less than perfect Stella Kowalski relaxes in a shabby armchair in haircut. She asks Stella about having a maid, but the bedroom of the small apartment. She eats the Kowalskis’ apartment only consists of two chocolates and reads a movie magazine. Stella’s rooms. Blanche is horrified by this news. She pours husband, Stanley Kowalski, enters, carrying a another drink to curb her intolerance of the place. package of meat dripping with blood and yelling Blanche has been lonely; she feels her sister aban- for his wife. Stanley tosses the meat to Stella, who doned her when she left Mississippi and their father catches it in a surprised reaction. Stanley leaves to died. Blanche admits that she is not well. Stella go bowling with his friends, and Stella decides to insists that her sister stay at the apartment, and she tag along. She hurriedly primps in the living room directs her to a folding bed. She insists that Stanley mirror, quickly closes the apartment door behind will not mind the lack of privacy, as he is Polish. her, and says hello to Eunice Hubbell and a Negro Stella advises her sister that Stanley is unlike the Woman who are sitting on the landing. As she Southern gentlemen they knew back in Laurel, exits, the two women laugh about Stanley’s lack Mississippi. She confesses he is ill mannered, but of manners. she is madly in love with him. A Streetcar Named Desire 269 Blanche confesses that she has lost Belle Reve, Stanley as a means of winning him over; however, the family plantation. Blanche expresses her resent- he is interested only in the profits from Belle Reve. ment of her sister because she was “in bed with When Stanley accuses Blanche of selling the plan- [her] Polack” while Blanche scraped and clawed to tation and keeping all of the money, she insists that hold on to Belle Reve. Stella is very upset to know she has never cheated anyone in her life. She says, that they have lost their homestead. Blanche bit- “I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman’s terly blames the foreclosure on the many deaths in charm is fifty percent illusion, but when a thing is the family. Blanche is plagued with guilt, as well as important, I tell the truth.” Stanley rifles through being hopelessly adrift, and she projects her feelings the trunk again, searching for documents that will of loss onto Stella, who runs into the bathroom to prove Blanche is lying. Stanley discovers yellowing escape her sister’s wrath. letters held together by aging ribbons, and he with- Stanley returns home. He shouts to his friends, holds these visibly precious items until she pulls two Steve Hubbell and Mitch (Harold Mitchell), from manila envelopes from her belongings. Blanche says the stairwell. Blanche speaks to him before he that his touch has contaminated her cherished love notices her presence. Stanley is cordial to her and letters. She tells Stanley that this paperwork is all asks for Stella, who has locked herself away in the that is left of the plantation, and he continues berat- bathroom. He offers Blanche another shot of ing her by demanding to know how she could allow whiskey, noticing that the bottle has already been the foreclosure to happen. Blanche recoils with sampled. Blanche declines the offer, stating that she anger and retorts that the plantation has been lost rarely drinks. Her obvious dishonesty spurs Stanley by generations of negligent men who “exchanged to ask some very personal questions regarding her the land for their epic fornications.” Stanley intends past, namely, about her husband. He sheds his to have the documents read by a lawyer friend, and sweaty shirt to find relief in the summer heat and Blanche invites him to do so. Now that Stanley has welcomes her to stay with them. Upset by his med- been proved wrong, he justifies his concern with the dlesome inquiries, Blanche replies that her young fact that Stella is pregnant. This is a happy digres- husband is dead. She grows nauseous discussing this sion for Blanche, who is genuinely excited by this subject and has to sit down to regain her composure. information. When Stella returns, Blanche expresses her joy about the baby. She brags that she handled Scene 2 Stanley and even flirted with him. The two sisters Around six o’clock the following evening, Blanche leave as Stanley’s friends arrive for their poker night. and Stella plan to have dinner out and see a movie while Stanley and his friends have a poker night in Scene 3 the apartment. While Blanche readies herself in the Later that night in the Kowalski apartment, Stanley bathroom, Stella tells Stanley that Belle Reve has and his friends are still drinking and playing cards. been lost. She also warns him not to mention that Stella and Blanche return at 2:30 A.M., and Stanley she is pregnant because Blanche is already so unsta- asks them to visit Eunice until the game is over. ble. Stanley is most concerned with the loss of the When Stella does not comply, Stanley slaps her estate. He suspects Blanche sold the plantation and backside as a means of countering her disobedience kept all of the profits for herself. Referring to the in front of his friends. Blanche is intrigued by Mitch, Napoleonic Code, Stanley wants to know whether he who is uninterested in the poker game because he is has been swindled. To find proof of the foreclosure he worried about his ailing mother. Blanche is immedi- rummages through Blanche’s trunk. Appraising the ately attracted to his sensitivity. The two introduce furs and jewelry she has, he urges Stella to acknowl- themselves. Mitch offers her a cigarette, showing her edge that Blanche has deceived her. Stella fears the the inscription on his cigarette case. She immedi- looming confrontation, so she escapes to the porch. ately recognizes it as the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett When Blanche emerges from her hot bath and Browning. Mitch explains the case is from a former realizes that Stella is not around, she flirts with girlfriend who died. Mitch’s story of his former lover 270 A Streetcar Named Desire resonates with Blanche’s own sense of loss of her that has been said. All of Blanche’s persuading has young husband, Allan Grey. She tells Mitch, “Sor- been in vain: When Stella sees Stanley, she runs row makes for sincerity,” and continues, “Show me a over and jumps into his arms. person that hasn’t known sorrow and I’ll show you a Scene 5 superficial person.” She asks Mitch to cover the Blanche has been living at the Kowalskis’ apart- naked lightbulb with a Chinese lantern she recently ment for three months. While she finishes writing a purchased. letter to Shep about imaginary cocktail parties she Stanley grows more inebriated and increasingly has been attending, Stanley enters.