Jihyun's Entries on A Streetcar Named Desire

1 Journal
In beginning of the book I had a lot of questions. In scene one, when Blanche is looking for her Sister Stella’s house, the author Tennessee Williams wrote, “Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light. There is something about her uncertain manner, as her white clothes that suggest a moth.” I was curious why Tennessee Williams uses a moth to describe Blanche. Also the ending scene one, when Blanche said, “The boy the boy died. I’m afraid I’m going to be sick!” I wasn’t sure who was she talking about, but in scene two, it solved the problem. It was Blanche’s dead husband.
The weird thing was in scene two and three, it seemed like Blanche was talking a lot of baths. She said; she needed steaming hot baths to make her calm. It seemed like to her the baths was cleansing her mind or emotions. I also remembered when Blanche was talking to Mitch that “I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action.” I thought that refers to maybe Blanche was scared to show her real face.
I remembered this scene the most, in scene three during poker party, Stanley was drug and hit his wife Stella. After he awoke from drug, he went out to get Stella. He was looking at Eunice’s house and called Stel-lahhhhhh. He made animal’s violence sound. Stella went outside and slowly came near to Stanley, and they were like beauty and beast. I am still getting though the book. Every scene shows the character’s trait.



2 Journal

I started to understand more about the book now. I also started to know more about Blanche’s mystery after she loses Belle Reve. I found out that both sisters are depending on others. Stella is relay on her husband Stanley. Blanche is relay on men. I started to have questions to myself, why Stella and Blanche are so dependent on men?
In the middle of the scene, Blanche convinces Stella to leave Stanley because he is an animal and common man. After Stanley heard what Blanche said, he started to search about Blanche’s past. In scene Five, Stanley says to Blanches, “do you happen to know somebody named Shaw? Well, this somebody named Shaw is under the impression he met you in Laurel, but I figure he must have got you mixed up with some other party because this other party is someone he met at a hotel called the Flamingo.”. Stanley searched for Blanche’s secrets past and this conversation shows that Stanley is trying to hurt and embrace Blanche. The reason is Blanch is encouraging Stella to leave him. I think he is trying to do revenge to Blanche. But, Blanch is ignoring what Stanley saying. I was cautious why Tennessee Williams use Flamingo? Also why Blanche is scared about people to know about her past? Especially Mitch.
In the reading I started to know more about the characters especially Blanche. She is very considers about her looks. She keeps ask people how she looks. She also seems afraid about losing her beauty. Even though, two sisters Blanche and Stella seem different. I think they are same in some way, because they are not independent on themselves and depend on men. Stella is depending on Stanley, and Blanche is depending on men. Only difference is Stella is married and depends on only one man, but Blanche is depends on several men by her beauty. In the middle of the book it started to appear more about the characters possess and mystery about Blanche.


3Journal.
A streetcar named Desire was different lives in South around 1900s philosophy, culture 50 and 60 years ago in South. I think, the book tries to say, three people Blanche, Stella, and Stanley’ survivors. Because, Blanche doesn’t have job and money to live, so she needs a guy who can support her. She just uses her beauty to survive. Stella is totally depending on Stanley. Stanley is depends on poker and drink to survive themselves. But it also sows three people damaging by their emotions.
I started to think the live in now is much different, because now a lot of women have their own job, house, and money to survive by themselves without someone supporting them. Surprising thing was the ending scene I didn’t think that Blanch will end up going hospital, and her sister Stella couldn’t do anything.