The Streetcar Named ”Desire” — страница 6

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young husband in bed with an older man who had been his longtime friend. At first they all pretended nothing happened. They went out to a casino together, the three of them. On the dance floor she drunkenly confronted him, telling him he disgusted her. Then the boy rushed out of the casino and everyone heard a shot. He killed himself. Mitch comes to her and holds her, comforting her. "You need somebody. And I need somebody, too," he says. "Could it be{you and me, Blanche?" They kiss, even as she sobs. "Sometimes{there's God{so quickly," she says. Scene 7 Summary Late afternoon, mid-September. Stella is decorating for Blanche's birthday. Stanley comes in. Blanche is in the bathroom, bathing, and Stanley mocks her to Stella. He tells Stella to sit down

and listen because he's got the dirt on Blanche now. As Blanche, unconcerned, sings "It's Only a Paper Moon," Stanley gleefully recounts to Stella how Blanche earned a notorious reputation at the Flamingo hotel and was asked to leave (presumably for immoral behavior unacceptable even by the standards of that establishment). She came to be regarded as "nuts" by the town and was declared 'off-limits' to soldiers at a nearby base. She was not given a leave of absence by her school; she was kicked out for having a relationship with a seventeen-year-old boy. Stella defends her sister. She's not convinced this story is true{certainly not all of it. Stanley tells Stella not to expect Mitch for the birthday dinner. He has told Mitch all he heard, and there's no way

Mitch will marry her now. Stanley has bought Blanche a birthday present: a one-way bus ticket back to Laurel, Mississippi. He yells at Blanche to get out of the bathroom. She emerges at last, in high spirits. But Stanley's face as he passes by gives her a fright. And the dazed way that Stella responds to her chatter alerts her that something is wrong. She asks Stella what has happened, but Stella can only feebly lie that nothing has. Scene 8 Summary Three quarters of an hour later, the birthday dinner is winding down. The place set for Mitch is empty. It has obviously been a strained meal. Blanche tries to break the gloomy silence by asking Stanley to tell a story. He declines. So Blanche tells one herself- -a lame joke involving a priest and a swearing parrot. Stanley pointedly

does not laugh. Instead, he reaches across the table for a chop and eats it with his fingers. Stella scolds him. He smashes his plate, declares that he is sick and tired of being called "pig Polack disgusting vulgar greasy!" He is the king of this house. He smashes his cup and saucer and storms out onto the porch. Blanche again asks Stella what happened while she was taking a bath. What did Stanley tell Stella about her? Nothing, Stella says, but she is clearly upset. Although Stella implores her not to, Blanche calls Mitch's house to find out why he stood her up. Mitch is not home. Stella goes to Stanley out on the porch. They embrace, and Stanley promises her things will be all right again after the baby comes and Blanche leaves. Stella goes back inside and lights the

candles. Blanche and Stanley join her. Stanley's patent ill will produces another tense exchange with Blanche. One of Stanley's bowling buddies calls up. While he's on the phone, Stanley unnecessarily yells at Blanche to be quiet. She tries her best to control her nerves. Stanley returns to the table, and with a thin veneer of kindness offers Blanche a birthday envelope. She is surprised and delighted|until she opens it and Stanley declares its contents: a one-way ticket back to Laurel, Mississippi on a Greyhound bus, leaving Tuesday. Blanche tries to smile, tries to laugh, runs to the bedroom, and then to the bathroom, clutching her throat and making gagging noises, as if Stanley's cruelty has literally taken her breath away. Stanley, pleased with himself and his just actions

(considering, he says, "all I took off her"), prepares to go bowling. But Stella demands to know why Stanley has treated Blanche so callously. He reminds her that Stella thought he was common when they first met, but that he took her off her pedestal and things were wonderful until Blanche arrived. While he speaks, a sudden change comes over Stella. She slowly shufies from the bedroom to the kitchen, then quietly asks to be taken to the hospital. Stanley is with her in an instant, speaking softly as he leads her out the door. Scene 9 Summary Later the same evening, a scarlet-robed Blanche sits tensely on a bedroom chair. On a nearby table are a bottle of liquor and a glass. We hear polka music, but not from the radio: it's playing in her own head. She is drinking, we