Lenny's journals: A Streetcar Named Desire

Journal # 1
As I began reading scene one of A Street Car Named Desire, Blanche and Stella are well characterized. Upon Blanches arrival, she is instantly disappointed by where her sister lives and jokes about it by saying that she could only imagine such a place to be in a work of Edger Allan Poe's. She seems shy because she doesn't say much to Eunice. Once Blanche leaves with Stella, she is no longer taciturn; she barely lets Stella speak a word as she leads their conversations and talks mostly about herself. I wonder why Blanche is showed up in New Orleans, even though she doesn't like it. I also wonder what happened in Belle Reve and what she's hiding.
Stella is characterized as a pushover and a very passive character. She enjoys watching her husband bowl and when Stanley isn't there for a while, all she can think about is him, showing that she doesn't have much of a life aside from her husband. When Stella is with Blanche, she mostly listens to what Blache has to say. "You never did give me a chance to say much Blanche. So I just got in the habit of being quiet around you" said Stella, as Blanche replied "A good habit to get into." These lines demonstrate the relationship between the sisters; Stella supports Blanche, while Blanche is used to having control. I wonder if, or rather, how Stellas personality will effect her relationships.

Journal # 2
After reading about half of the book, more is revealed about Blanche. She deeply cares and worries for her sister. For example, the night when Stanley attacked Stella, Blanche stayed out all night worrying for her sister. After reuniting with Stella, she scolds her sister for staying with such a brutish man and plans an escape for Stella. However, from Stella's point of view, Blanche might be taking too much control of someone else's life. We also learn that Blanche is very lonely after most of the people in Belle Reve have died. Blanche fell in love with Mitch, who she believes is the best man out of Stanley's group. However, she often lies to Mitch, saying that she is younger than Stella and that she doesn't drink alcohol much. She also says she needs things like a chinese lantern over a light and flashy clothes to make her feel beautiful. At the end of scene five, she also flirts with and kisses a young boy who was collecting donations. I think she did this because she was feeling lustful and nervous before her date with Mitch and needed to feel like she was beautiful enough to do whatever she wanted.
I predict that Blanches insecurities and lies will lead to more pain for her. Mitch is bound to find out and lying is never a way to keep a relationship together. Stella might get tired of being bossed around by her sister and might keep her distance from Blanche. Blanches need to feel beautiful is probably one of the causes of her financial hardships as all she has in her wallet is change while she has dozens of fine dresses.

Journal # 3
This book was great, although the ending was rather predictable. I felt bad for Blanche; after Stella left, she lost everything. She couldn't handle being alone so she looked for comfort from strangers and children. Because she was so desperate for comfort, she lost her reputation, her job, and her home. When she was with Mitch and imagining the same polka music as when her husband died, I predicted that someone was going to die, but what really died was her relationship with Mitch as the tense moment brings the truth of Blanche's past to light. Blanches paper lantern symbolized her ability to hide, but when Mitch tore the paper lantern off of the light bulb, Blanche must have felt weak, as she could no longer hide her appearance or her past. At the end of scene ten, Blanche lost her pride as she was raped by the man she despised the most. During scene eleven, Blanche lost her sister as she chose to believe Stanley over Blanche. I find it also significant when Stanley tore Blanches paper lantern from the light bulb right before she was taken away. She stopped running away and followed the doctor.
This book is also interesting because of the way Williams uses instruments to support the story. I could imagine how tense a situation is when I imagine trumpets following scenes, such as when Stanley attacked Stella.