Describe Blanche's relationship with Stanley in Scene Five.? How does this latest conflict between them end? What seems to be the course of their conflicts? What is the true cause of this conflict?
The relationship between Stanley and Blanche becomes more hostile and tense. Blanche uses her "feathery charm" to make harsh and rude comments towards Stanley. Blanche makes accusations toward Stanley and his astrological sign of being a "goat" or a Capricorn. Stanley then gives hostile comments back towards Blanche. He addresses her about her time at the Flamingo Hotel and if she knows a man named Shaw. Blanche gets defensive, and the conflict ends with Blanche feeling fearful and shaken because Stanley is catching on. The true cause of this conflict has to do with dignity. Blanche has a way of tearing Stanley's dignity, attacking him and demeaning his hard working attitude and social class. Pride and dignity are two of the biggest things that if they are attacked at you feel vulnerable. I think when Blanche attacks Stanley a part of him breaks down and shows vulnerability, he then in turn compensates for that vulnerability by turning it on Blanche and breaking her down. It's all to show dominance.
In Scene Six Blanche describes her experience with love in terms of light imagery.Yet Scene Six takes place mostly in the dark in candlelight. What is the effect of this on the viewer? Why might Blanche prefer dim light? Where else have references to light and dark appeared in the play?
The effect of the light imagery in the dark candlelight gives us an effect of who Blanche really is. Darkness hides things from view. Blanche hides lies from everyone. Darkness does that. The darkness allows Blanche to conceal the things that she doesn't want to reveal at all. She doesn't like the light. It reminds her of the searchlight that discovered her dead young husband. Light brings back terrible memories and also isn't easy to conceal things in. The light also reveals Blanche's true age, she wants to hold on to her fading beauty and the dream of the past. Light and dark references appeared earlier in the play. Those references allow her to live a dream, away from reality. They allow her to live a lie. Earlier in the play she covers the harsh light with a paper lantern, and she never goes on dates in the day time, it only reaffirms the fact that light to Blanche is a reminder of painful memories and the past that will never be again.
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