Jiordalys Figueroa A Street Car Named Desire 1-2-3

Jiordalys Figueroa
A Street Car Named Desire
Journal #1

In scene one we are introduced to Blanche, Stella’s sister, and although I just started reading the play I can already tell that she is going to be a complicated character. I can tell she is very high class by the way she was dressed, as described in the play “looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district” and because she was shocked to know that her sister, Stella, lived in a low class neighborhood; When Eunice let Blanche into Stella’s apartment she seemed very uncomfortable and out of place. She also told Stella how she felt about her apartment, was shocked to know that she didn’t have a maid, and asked why Stella didn’t tell her she lived in “such bad conditions”, but little did she know that Stella was actually quite happy with her home. Although I am at the beginning of the play, I also think Blanche has an alcohol problem because she felt really uncomfortable in Stella’s home until she saw a whiskey bottle, she right away pours herself a shot, downs it immediately, replaces the bottle, cleans her tumbler, and quickly returns to her seat in front of the table as if she were doing something wrong. When Stella arrives and begins to look for the Whiskey bottle, Blanche acts if she has no clue where it is, and when Stanley offers her a drink she declines, saying she rarely drinks.
I am assuming that the man on the cover is Stanley; I right away concluded that he is a handsome, hard working man (due to his muscles), and in scene one he seems very nice, however, as I continue reading, I’m starting to see his true colors. I didn’t like when Stella, so enthusiastically, told Stanley that she was going to take her sister out for supper and then to a show while he had his poker night, and all he did was complain about his supper and how she had to make him food. He also seems kind of rude, however he is smart because, unlike Stella, he isn’t fooled by Blanche, he doesn’t believe that Blanche lost Belle Reve, and neither do I. I am really curious to know what really happened to Belle Reve and why Blanche is actually visiting Stella.





Jiordalys Figueroa
A Street Car Named Desire
Journal #2

I just finished reading scene six and I am really into this book!! I have mix feelings about Stanley but most of them are negative, I cannot believe that in scene three Stanley abuses Stella, who’s carrying his child! I knew he was rude but I was not expecting that, and I was definitely not expecting Stella to go back to him the same night!! What is wrong with her, I know that’s her husband and the father of her child, but for her to forgive him so quickly makes it seem like she didn’t really care that he hit her. Although Blanche is a bit weird, I understand why she was describing Stanley as a monster in scene four and how shocked she was to see how calm her sister was about the whole situation and acted as if his actions were acceptable (even I was shocked), but I guess we both have to take into consideration that Stanley did apologize, and regretted what he did. No one knows Stanley better than Stella so there must be a reason to why she went back to him.
I find it really cute that Mitch and Blanche like each other, and I liked the fact that they were going on a date, however the ending of scene five was really weird and wrong. While Blanche was waiting for her date, Mitch, she kisses a young man, who was collecting money for a newspaper, on the lips and then sends him on his way, saying, “I’ve got to be good—and keep my hands off children.” This makes me suspicious, I don’t think this was the first time that she’s kissed a minor, I also think she is a bit crazy because a few moments later Mitch appears with a bunch of roses and she accepts the roses, and acts as if nothing happened. Poor Mitch, he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. I wonder why Blanche has such a problem with her age, some women don’t like telling their age because they don’t want to seem old but for her is a really big deal, she just hates her age!








Jiordalys Figueroa
A Street Car Named Desire
Journal #3

I just finished reading the play and all I can say is WOW !! so many things happened! I was right about Blanche, the young man she kissed in scene five was not the first minor she’s done something with. Stanley found out a lot about Blanche from a supply man he works with who regularly travels to Blanche and Stella’s hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. One of the things he found was that she got kicked out of the high school where she taught English, in Laurel, because a father reported his discovery that Blanche was having a relationship with a seventeen-year-old boy. He also found out that she was no longer allowed in the Flamingo Hotel, where she lived after she lost Belle Reve because of her immortal behavior; she’s slept around with so many men that she was known as “out-of-bounds” by an army camp near Laurel. She was practically told by the mayor of the town to leave. Stanley enjoyed telling Stella all of this because he was dying to get Blanche out of the house; he even told Mitch who was really into Blanche.
I think the reason why Stanley is always so mean and angry is because Blanche’s criticism actually effects him and makes him feel insecure, he demonstrates this when he throws his plate on the floor after Stella ordered him to go wash up because his face and hands were greasy. Things get even worse as the book comes to an end; In scene ten, After Stella is rushed to the hospital, because she was giving birth, Stanley, having a couple of drinks in his system, rapes Blanche!
Most books have a happy ending; however there is always an exception. The ending to this play was not a happy one whatsoever! Stella betrayed her sister; she didn’t believe her when she told her that Stanley raped her and instead stayed by Stanley’s side and placed Blanche in a mental institution. It’s true that Blanche was a bit crazy and had problems but it was nothing that Stella couldn’t handle; I think Blanche was just traumatized by husband, who killed himself after she discovered his homosexuality. This play was very good; I think it had a very ironic ending which I believe was what made the play great!!