A Streetcar Named Desire: Key Quotes Scenes 7-8

Understanding the Scenes

Scenes 7 and 8 deepen the breakdown in relationships and reveal significant truths, impacting later events.
Scene 7 discloses Blanche’s disreputable past while Scene 8 showcases Stanley’s dominance and superiority amidst conflict.
These scenes address the struggles between reality and fantasy, asserting dominance and concealing the cruelty of life.

Characters

Blanche DuBois: Blanche’s vulnerability becomes more exposed as her past is brought to light. Her connection with Mitch becomes strained.
Stella Kowalski: Stella is caught in the conflict between her sister and her husband. Her loyalty to both is tested.
Stanley Kowalski: Stanley evolves from a brash character to a methodical and intimidating figure–asserting his dominance in his household and over Blanche.

Themes

Reality vs Illusion: The revelation of Blanche’s past shatters the illusory world she has carefully constructed.
Sexual Desire: Stanley’s brutality signifies uncontrolled carnality, as opposed to Blanche’s view of love as purity and beauty.
Dominance and Control: Stanley very assertively stakes his claim, dismissing Blanche’s criticisms and asserting his control over his domain.

Key Quotes

“She’s not staying here after Tuesday. You know that, don’t you? Underline it!” - Stanley. The underline signifies Stanley’s assertiveness and dominance.
“The four-letter word deprived us of our plantation, till finally all that was left–and Stella can verify that! – was the house itself and about twenty acres of ground, including a graveyard, to which now all but Stella and I have retreated.” - Blanche. This quote reveals Blanche’s desperate clinging to the past.

Literary Devices

Contrast: The glamorous, fantastical world of Blanche is juxtaposed with Stanley’s raw and brutal reality.
Symbolism: The birthday cake in Scene 8 is an emblem of perceived happiness, masking prevailing tensions and conflicts.
Foreshadowing: Stanley’s assertive actions come as a hint of the eventual clash of wills and the ensuing downfall of Blanche.
The use of colloquial language by Stanley portrays his raw character and roots. Contrastingly, Blanche’s use of more refined language illustrates her pretentious nature.
These scenes demonstrate a dynamic setting further propelling the character conflicts.

To write a remarkable essay, intertwine these points with a thread of continuity, crafting a broad and multidimensional analysis. Remember to examine the relationships between the characters and how these change under the influence of newfound facts and looming confrontations.