- “Funerals are pretty compared to deaths” (21)
- Blanche uses this to express the flighty nature of Stella when life in Belle Reve became difficult
- Indicates Blanche was traumatized by the experience of watching those she loved die
- Sets the pretext for Blanche's insecurity and desire to be the brute in every relationship
- “Some people rarely touch it [liquor] but it often touches them” (26)
- Stanley's saying this to Blanche is an early indication of Blanche's lies because of her uncomfortable reaction
- Indicates that Blanche is an alcoholic
- Blanche disguises her alcohol consumption as it is one of her vices
- “I never met a woman that didn’t know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit for more than they’ve got” (38)
- Characterizes Stanley as practical and down to earth
- Represents how Stanley is part of the “New America”, where we move away from the attention to the intricate details displayed by the old southern gentleman and to the savage practicality that the immigrant city folk exhibit
- Also exemplified in scene three:
- Blanche - “Please don't get up”
- Stanley - “Nobody was getting up so don't be worried”
- Often cited as the decline in American civilization, but Williams saw it as the start of something new.
- “I know that I fib a good deal. After all, a woman’s charm is fifty percent illusion” (41)
- Characterizes Blanche as duplicitous
- Blanche fits temptress archetype
- Another example of her being a temptress is in scene three where she specifically changes under the light to catch Mitch’s attention
- She uses her body to get what she wants
- Classifies her as a pathological liar
- “I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me, but you can’t!” (42)
- Blanche's saying this to Stanley demonstrates the negative relationship between the pair
- Characterizes Blanche as defensive and emotionally guarded
- “The blind are leading the blind!” (45)
- Biblical allusion (Matthew 15:14): the bible states that if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into a pit
- Indicates that the relationship between Stella and Blanche will be detrimental to both of them
- “Sorrow makes for sincerity, I think” (58)
- Blanche utilizes Mitch's sorrow to attempt to forge a connection with him
- Indicative of Blanche's manipulative nature
- “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” (145)
- Characterizes Blanche as idealistic
- The magic she wants is part of Blanche's facade; Blanche uses her lies as a fantasy to escape reality
- "Whoever you are- I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." (178)
- Emphasizes Blanche's living in a fantasy reality
- Blanche dreams of someone rescuing her as if she is in a fairy tale
- “This game is seven card stud.” (179)
- The introduction of a new poker game indicates that nothing has changed
- The poker face that one maintains ends when the last hand ended
- The ending of the previous poker hand symbolizes the removal of Blanche's deceiving others