A Streetcar Named Desire - Revision Notes for OCR A Level English Literature

A Streetcar Named Desire

Scenes summary

Scene 1

·         Stella goes to watch Stanley and Mitch bowling

·         Blanche arrives at Elysian Fields and waits inside for her sister

·         Stella returns and they greet each other

·         Blanche talks about losing Belle Reve and the deaths of her family members

·         Stanley meets Blanche; there is an awkward tension as it’s clear that they’re very different types of people

·         Blanche reveals her husband died when they were young

Scene 2

·         Blanche is bathing

·         Stanley demands to know what happened to Belle Reve

·         Stella attempts to defend Blanche

·         Stella leaves and Blanche finishes bathing

·         Stanley confronts Blanche, and Blanche attempts to flirt with Stanley

·         Stella’s pregnancy is revealed

Scene 3

·         The poker night: Stanley and his friends play poker, and are drinking

·         Stella and Blanche returns from an evening out

·         Blanche meets Mitch

·         Stanley becomes violent with Stella

·         Stella and Blanche retreat to the apartment upstairs

·         Stella returns to Stanley and they make love

Scene 4

·         Blanche and Stella discuss the previous night; Blanche is shocked at Stella’s acceptance of Stanley’s behaviour

·         Blanche criticises Stanley

·         Stanley is secretly listening to Blanche’s criticism

Scene 5

·         Upstairs, Eunice and Steve fight

·         Stanley hints at the knowledge of Blanche’s promiscuous past

·         Blanche flirts with a young man who collects newspaper subscriptions

·         Mitch arrives and they go on their date

Scene 6

·         Blanche and Mitch come back from their date

·         They have a conversation that highlights their differences

·         Blanche tells the story of how her husband committed suicide after she discovered him in bed with a man

·         Mitch comforts her and they discuss marriage

Scene 7

·         Months later; it is mid-September and Blanche’s birthday

·         Stanley reveals Blanche’s past to Stella

·         Blanche realises that there is a change in atmosphere

Scene 8

·         Stanley, Stella and Blanche celebrate the latter’s birthday with a meal; Mitch hadn’t arrived

·         Stanley becomes violent again, before presenting Blanche with a bus ticket back home as a supposed birthday gift

·         Stella complains at his cruelty, but then goes into labour

·         Stanley takes her to the hospital

Scene 9

·         Both Blanche and Mitch have been drinking

·         Mitch visits Blanche and tells her he knows about her past

·         Blanche tried to explain but he dismisses her and attempts to **** her

·         She shouts “Fire!” and he leaves

Scene 10

·         Blanche is in a drunken state; her mental instability is shown through her actions

·         Stanley returns home from the hospital and celebrates the birth of his child

·         Stanley uncovers Blanche’s true nature and…