Rey's journals: A Streetcar Named Desire

So far in reading A Streetcar Named Desire, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. I suppose it is the thought that its still summertime in my head that made me phase in and out of the beginning. After re-reading the beginning, I understand that Blanche is the sister of Stella, who is married to Stanley. However I decided to write my first journal entry based solely on the first few pages and the blurb in the back. That way, I get a small taste of the play that allows me to make all kinds of assumptions and predictions.

From the blurb, I know that a woman’s “chance at happiness” is taken from her. This can either be Stella or Blanche. I think it may be Stella because from what I’ve read, she used to live in a large estate and her current residency is nothing compared to it. Perhaps the visiting of her sister is a sign or maybe an omen that bad things are on the way.

I would also like to speak about the cover art for the book. It was a bold choice to put a picture of a shirtless man as the cover. (I actually thought it kind of awkward sitting on the train reading the book and seeing the reactions of people around me) I presume the man is Stanley, Stella’s husband. From the first few pages that I’ve read so far, Stanley had just gone bowling. Stanley must be an important part in the play. Perhaps he is the one who takes away someone’s “chance at happiness”. The appearance of his muscles makes him seem like a manly-man, the type that enjoys working out and being superior over women. However that’s just me judging a book by its cover.

Journal #2
WOW. To be completely honest, I did not want to put the book down. Its getting really good. I think maybe it’s because I’ve been in a play before that I’m getting a kick out of visualizing how the characters are interacting with each other and wondering how each line is said. I caught myself reading out loud and adding my own emotions into the play.

The relationship between Stanley and Blanche is very interesting. But before I delve deeper into that, I want to discuss my thoughts on Blanche. So my prediction from my first journal entry was wrong. It is clearly Blanche with the problems of trying to find happiness, not Stella. Blanche is a questionable character. The discussion about the Napoleonic code between Stanley and Stella made me wonder if Blanche has a hidden agenda. Perhaps Blanche is running away from something, maybe a crime she committed back home. Also, I see Blanche as a kind of flirt. She enjoys the company of men even though she says she “feels uncomfortable” in the presence of the men like during the poker game. However I do like her attitude though. She carries herself as if she’s better than everyone which I can relate to. She enjoys clothing and dressing up and she enjoys receiving compliments. Even though its not a good quality to have, I can relate to Blanche in these ways.

To further elaborate on the relationship between Blanche and Stanley, I can sense a huge fireball of heat and tension between the two. The dialogue between the two of them about the Napoleonic code was much more than just an exchange of words. So many things were going on besides Stanley questioning Blanche. For example, Stanley’s aggressiveness came out as he fumbled over Blanches secret love letters. This ties back to my first journal entry where I predicted that Stanley was a “macho, manly-man”. Also Blanches description of Stanley fit him perfectly as she said he was compatible to a primitive caveman. By Stanley quarreling with Blanche over the letters, his primitive beastly instinct came out, fortifying my understanding of him as a macho man.

Not only did this scene help uncover Stanley’s true nature, it also allowed me to get a deep understand of Blanche. By the way that she was outraged when Stanley touched her love letters and the way she threatened to burn them shows that there is much more to Blanche than what meets the eye. My first impression of Blanch was that she was stuck up and better than everyone else. However this scene shows that Blanche is somewhat insecure. The love letters from her late husband must have meant a great deal to her and must have impacted her greatly. The way she describes him as a “young boy“ is peculiar. When I actively read her dialogue, I read it slow and soft, the way she would. She is still in love with her late husband. However it doesn’t stop her from talking to Mitch! I cant wait for more of Blanches life to unravel. There is so much more to Blanche that she isn’t telling to Stella and Stanley and its obvious.
Journal#3
I know I’m not supposed to use anything except the proper English language but OMG! The play was absolutely brilliant! Where do I begin? There are several things I want to discuss such as Blanche and Stella’s relationship, Blanche and Stanley‘s relationship at the end of the play and Blanche and Mitch’s intense dialogue scene. Also, several other significant points that I want to bring up was the vendor who was selling flowers for the dead, Blanches late husband, Blanches life prior to her visit and of course the ending.

The relationship between Stella and Blanche is very delicate and intricate. The tiniest upset could break them. Throughout the whole play, Stella took care of Blanche. She fetched her soda whenever she wanted it and helped her accommodate to her tiny home. She even spoke out of turn towards Stanley for Blanche. That shows that Stella truly cares and worries for Blanche. However it seems as though Blanche completely acts as if its Stella’s job to wait on her hand and feet. Blanche and Stanley’s scene was very thought provoking! The sexual innuendo was too much to handle at 2 A.M while I was reading it. I can not believe that Stanley raped Blanche. However this raises several questions and concerns. Can it really be called rape? Although Blanche made a fuss of the ordeal, the entirety of the play made me assume she was a sexually frustrated woman and was willing to get it from anyone. When Stanley said “we’ve had this date for a while now”, it almost blew my mind! My instincts from my previous journals were right! I had said earlier that there was a huge “fireball of heat and tension”. I just didn’t know that tension would lead to sex. Also it was Stanley who came on to Blanche, not vice versa. Blanches relationship with Mitch was kind of awkward I felt. I felt as if Blanche only wanted to be with Mitch because it was the easy way out. Clearly Mitch was enthralled by Blanches faux-aristocratic exterior and I feel Blanche took advantage of that fact because since she couldn’t have her husband, he was the next best thing. They ended on an awkward note though.

Blanches late husband is also intriguing! The story of Blanches late husband was a key part in understanding Blanche. Her insecurity most probably comes from the fact that her husband had relations with a man while they were married. That must have been a huge blow to her self-esteem. I understand how Blanche must have felt as a similar scenario happened with me. After an ordeal such as that, it explains why Blanche went on a spree with men around her town. After their family died and she lost the plantation, what else could an insecure woman do but to chase down every temporary high to satisfy her.

The one part of the play that confused me was the old woman who was selling flowers for the dead. I don’t understand exactly why she was there. However perhaps the woman can be a symbol for the death of blanches sanity. This is because after directly after