A Streetcar Named Desire: Scene Summaries

Scene 1: Blanche arrives in the rough neighbourhood of New Orleans where her sister Stella lives with her brutish husband, Stanley Kowalski.
Scene 2: Stanley confronts Blanche about her past and her newly discovered lost wealth, causing tension between them and exposing her vulnerabilities.
Scene 3: The men play poker while the women go out, creating an environment ripe for the confrontation between Stanley and Stella which ends in violence.
Scene 4: The morning after the violent poker night, Blanche expresses her concern about Stella’s marriage and her fears of Stanley.
Scene 5: Blanche meets a young man from the newspaper, and they share a passionate, fleeting moment as she confesses her constant need for admiration.
Scene 6: Blanche goes on a date with Mitch, Stanley’s sensitive poker buddy, where she opens up further about her past and her need for protection.
Scene 7: On Blanche’s birthday, Stanley reveals to Stella and Mitch the damaging elements of Blanche’s past, causing Stella to become upset and Mitch to withdraw.
Scene 8: Stanley, unfazed by the events of the previous scene, brutally breaks Blanche’s illusions of grandeur during her birthday dinner.
Scene 9: Mitch confronts Blanche about her past, leading to an intense confrontation where Blanche tries to maintain illusions about herself.
Scene 10: Stanley, after the hospital trip for Stella’s labour, asserts his dominance over Blanche, leading to an implied sexual assault.
Scene 11: Blanche is driven to madness and taken to a mental institution after all the stress and trauma of living with Stanley.