Stella

=STELLA=
 * __STAGE DIRECTIONS

ENTRANCES AND EXITS__

TONE AND DICTION

BEHAVIOUR (MOVEMENTS AND ACTIONS)

__PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION__**

 EMOTIONS
 * __GESTURES AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS__**


 * __WANTS/ DESIRES/ AMBITIONS__**
 * “When he’s away for a week I nearly go wild” ( p. 125) and “ I was – sort of- thrilled by it” sexual desire (p.157). Sexual attraction is the most important feature of Stella's relationship. Also ties in with the idea of Stanley's animal magnetism.

·  Pg. 131 “she’s soaking in a hot tub to quiet her nerves. She’s terribly upset.” Shows that she cares about her and is aware of her mental state ·  Pg. 134 “You have no idea how stupid.....out of the bathroom!” This shows that she is defensive towards Blanche. She cares for her and doesn’t want anything to harm her. She is always supporting her against Stanley. SCENE 7: P: Stella defends her sister’s character E: “But when she was young, she had an experience that – killed her illusions!” T: constant use of hyphens suggest that the memory is also too painful for Stella to be narrating, embarrassing even to admit that her sister found out that her husband was a “degenerate” (p. 61) E: Seeks to offer some explanation of her fall from grace subsequent to the tragedy she encountered in her first marriage. A consoling factor to lessen her sister’s guilt, and make her appear more favorable in the eyes of the audience, and herself too perhaps. R: At this point of time in the play, the audience ceases to view Blanche as someone who is promiscuous, high-handed or fake. Her harsh reality exposed to us, and while this may initially augment our hatred of her character, the albeit weak defense her sister puts up is the beginning of the audience viewing her as perhaps a victim of fate – not simply a wandering opportunist. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN-IN; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msobidithemefont: minor-bidi; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Ties in with the idea of the paper lantern – the paper shielding the light has been removed –and Blanche is shown to us for what she is, not what she has always pretended to be.
 * __ATTITUDE TOWARDS BLANCHE BEFORE THE RAPE__**

P: Stella’s desperation and deep sense of pity for Blanche E: “What’ll-she-do? What on earth will she-do!” (p. 63); “you didn’t know Blanche as a girl. Nobody, nobody, was tender and trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, forced her to change” (p.68); “Why did you do this to her?” (p.68) T: Hyphenated sentences to show how she is choking on her words, trying to come to terms with how Blanche would cope up E: Stella is the only who has seen Blanche through her childhood, and knows her inside out. She stands in defense of her sister, which aggravates Stanley as she confronts him violently, tearing of his brilliant silk bowling shirt R: audience shown that women too can be violent if they wish – standing up for their rights; audience filled with pity for Blanche who has been victimized and violated by the world, leading to the shattering of her dreams and illusions, leaving an empty shell of a person behind – part of Aristotlean tragedy.
 * SCENE 8:**

Pg 129. [agonisingly] “hush hush” towards Blanche. Tries to soothe Blanche but her loyalties lie with Stanley Pg 217. “I could not belive her story and keep living with Blanche!” Stella turns her back on blanche, when she needs it to most. Stella prefers to delude herself rather than acknowledge the harsh reality (similar to Blanche)
 * __ATTITUDE TOWARDS BLANCHE AFTER THE RAPE__**


 * __RELATIONSHIP WITH STANLEY__**
 * Pg 116 “Stanley! Where are you going?” “can I come watch?” shows her reliance on him, she always wants to be around him even though he is only going bowling, somthing she will not participate in but just wants to watch.
 * Pg 125 “A master sergeant in the engineers’ corps. Those are decorations!” shows she is proud of him and wants brags about his decorations to those around her, she’s infatuated with him.
 * Pg 125 “oh, Stanley doesn’t know yet” their relationship is not as close as she lets on, they may not talk often.
 * Pg 125 “when he’s away for a week I nearly go wild” sexually dependant on him.
 * Pg 131 “I put a cold plate on ice” He expects her to cook dinner for him which shows that in this relationship she is the homemaker. See that Stanley is a male chauvinist and very conventional in his expecations of women.
 * Pg 145 “it makes me so mad when he does that in front of people” strained relationship. He embarrasses her sometimes.
 * Pg 147 “He’s half drunk! – I’ll be out in a minute” shows that he gets drunk often therefore she must put up with his druken behaviour.
 * Pg 157 “he was a good lamb when I came back and he’s really very, very ashamed of what he did” Stella goes back to him even though he treats her badly. Shows that she has low self respect because she lets him treat her that way and he gets away with it everytime. Animal imagery to describe Stanley's behaviour.
 * Pg 161 “this morning he gave me ten dollars to smooth things over” Bribing his wife? Stella is financially dependant on Stanley.

P: Stella is horrified at the news, she cannot believe it – considers Stanley vindictive E: “What-contemptible-lies!”(p. 59) and stage directions “Stella draws back” (p.60) “I don’t want to hear any more” (p.60) “This is making me- sick!” (p.61) T: heavily punctuated and hyphenated sentences; stage directions: physically shrinks backward from Stanley in disgust at what she perceives to be lies E: There is a gamut of emotions flooding her head at this moment. Firstly, she is overcome with shock and disbelief – she refuses to accept that her sister could commit such acts, given the gentility they came from. She rejects Stanley’s accusations outright as being mean and comptemptible, the relationship between husband and wife is soured. She is disgusted by Stanley’s ranting, and moves away from him – as if the distance would insulate herself from his slanderous remarks. R: This revelation also comes as a shock for the audience. While we do suspect a shady past for Blanche, its revelation is nevertheless something that takes us aback. There is also a rising conflict between the couple since the arriving of Blanche, which really peaks in this extract.  P: Stella is outraged that Stanley has told Mitch about Blanche’s affairs E: 'I said, //Is Mitch through with her?'// (p.62) T: italics and repetition .  E: Repeats her questions to show that she will not let Stanley circumvent the situation. Incredulous that he could have been so callous R: Audience sides with Stella as Blanche last hope to start afresh has been shattered
 * SCENE 7:**

P: Stella is shocked to learn the truth about Blanche. Doesn’t quite know how to react.  Stella tries to cover up that she knows about Blanche’s past and chooses not to confront her. E: T: stage directions say that she speaks to Blanche ‘faintly’ and is ‘dazed’ after her conversation with Stanley  E: R:

·  Strained attempt to remain light-hearted. Adds to the poignancy of the scene · Intially Stella is comforting and supportive – touches her shoulder (p.67). Later on, Stella ca   <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 80%;">n’t bear to watch Blanche’s reaction and ‘turns her back’. Foreshadows the way she will turn her back on Blanche at the end of the play
 * SCENE 8:**

Pg 194 “your face and fingers are disgustingly greasy” Shows a strained relationship- there are occasions where Stella voices her true feelings about Stanley. Use of animal imagery to demean him.