Patricia Ortiz - Streetcar

Patricia Ortiz
A streetcar Named Desire
Journal 1: (scene 1)
My first feelings right away are that I love reading plays because it gives the story that much more emotion because I can imagine it all on a stage. . I feel like the setting of the book symbolizes why the characters are the way they are. Blanche is from a plantation in Mississippi, she comes from money, she’s spoiled, and that is why she is uptight. That is why it is a rude awakening for her to see where her sister lives now, since they both come from Belle Reve, to now end up in New Orleans, in a poor neighborhood. But Stella has got the ‘southern hospitality’ vibe to her.
My impression of Blanche is one of the most awkward characters I’ve ever read about. The way she talks and carries herself feels awkward and fake to me. I can feel her awkwardness through the book. It is one thing to feel out of place, but the way she feels she’s better than the life her sister is living, and being stuck up and anti-social (like when she was rude to Eunice) is not even ok. When she arrives at Stella’s home and he attitude is like ‘ugh, why am I here’ I wondered, well .. Why is she there? Unexpected visits like hers usually foreshadow something more than just a visit. Blanche blunt with the way she criticizes her sister’s home. Also she is quick to ask for liquor, I guessed right away that she was an alcoholic. She claims to have ‘nerves’ problems, but I don’t believe her, the way she explained how she lost belle Reve so dramatically gives me a funny feeling about her. I feel like I can’t really trust anything she says.
Stella is a sweet woman. I know she knows how to overlook how uptight her sister is. After all, when it comes to family, that’s all you can be, is understanding and patient. I know from personal experience with my little sister, we might not always see eye to eye, but family is forever so you have to get over it. I like her personality because to come from the same lifestyle as Blanche but to give it all up for your husband, just as long as you’re happy, that really shows me she’s a good person she’s not materialistic like Blanche, she’s got good morals and genuine qualities. As for Stanley, I don’t really want to judge him, just yet. When he met Blanche he was nice, and asked her questions. It was a fine first impression.

Journal 2: (scene 2-5)
In scene 2 I can tell Stanley doesn’t play games. He’s very interested in finding out why blanche lost belle reve, Stella doesn’t pay any mind to it because she wants to believe her sister, but she’s lucky to have Stanley around to help her out. I agree with Stanley it really doesn’t make any sense that there is no money to be shared after selling a bit plantation and to notice all the fancy expensive things she has, Stanley doesn’t trust Blanche, so I like that about him. So far in the book I’ve learned that Blanche is a vivid story teller, she’s so dramatic and she’s a total flirt! She just gets so into the way she speaks and what she talks about and personally I think she’s full of it.
I will admit I am a hopeless romantic, so I think it’s the cutest thing when Mitch and blanche have that ‘love at first sight’ moment in scene 3. I hate how Stanley ruins it, it makes him look so bitter to go off the way he did. And I do not in any way approve how he behaved towards Stella, especially since she’s pregnant. But at the same time I know why she went back to him, he was drunk, it wasn’t right of him but they love each other.
In scene 5, Stanley went ahead and did some research on Blanche. He digs up some things in her past that make her nervous and she denies them right away. Then she thinks of a story to tell Stella to convince her its not true. By the end of scene 5 I was convinced Blanche is completely insane. I can’t explain why she behaved so strangely with Stella, she’s acting hysterical all of a sudden, she screamed when the coke spilled, and kissed a random paper boy. It’s funny and sad at the same time.

Journal 3: (6-11)
Mitch and Blanche seem to have good chemistry together, I feel like they would be good for each other. Both of them are looking for love, so why not? They have like a heart to heart and it seems perfect. She acts pretty sane when she’s around Mitch and Mitch feels good around her. They’re both misfits, Blanche because of her age and Mitch, because he’s not settled and his dying mother wants him to find a woman before she dies.
Scene 7, was the most eye-opening chapter, and pretty much my favorite. Everything comes out and the truth is revealed! Stanley exposes Blanche, big time! Blanche had been living in a hotel and got kicked out for all the affairs she had been having. And she became quite famous for all her affairs and not only for that but that she was nuts! And the reason she was kicked out of the school was for getting involved with a student! Oh man, it was just crazy to finally know the truth. And even though Stella said “that can’t possibly be true” deep down I bet she knew all along her sister had some kind of hidden agenda. But I honestly did feel bad that Stanley told Mitch, because that messed everything up for them.
I also thought it was rude for him to give Blanche bus tickets, he definitely got his message across and I think he took it too far. When Mitch comes to talk to Blanche they have another moment. I feel like Blanche is honest when she’s around Mitch, because she really did feel something special for him. It’s just unfortunate he doesn’t want her because she’s not ‘clean enough to bring in the house with his mother.’ Scene 10 was intense because I would never had expected for Stanley, out of all people to rape Blanche.
The ending was sad to me because of Stella, I know she was torn. Torn between doing what was right for her sister which was sending her to an asylum and having Blanche stay with her, but that would’ve never worked. Stella didn’t believe Blanche when she told her that Stanley had raped her and I thought that was messed up but I can’t blame Stella after she knew Blanche had made everything else up. Overall, I enjoyed the book, tragedies aren’t really my thing because I enjoy reading a happy ending but it was a good story.