Scenes 4-6 of A Streetcar Named Desire

The most important events in these scenes are the long conversation between Stella and Blanche and Blanche going on a date with Mitch.

Scene four beings with Blanche checking on her sister after she was hit by Stanley the night before.  She is shocked to see that she is at her house.  Blanche figured she'd still be recovering at the neighbors.  Stella and Blanche start talking about what happened and Blanche lets Stella know how she feels about the situation.  Blanche explains how she thinks it was wrong and how the two of them were raised to not accept that treatment.  Stella responds by saying it's fine.  She says "he didn't know what he was doing...he was as good as a lamb when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of himself" (p.63).  I view this as as Stella making excuses for Stanley.  Most women would not accept that kind of treatment, so it is strange that Stella seems to just shrug off what seems to be fairly normal abuse by Stanley.

The audience gets a better idea of what is holding Stella and Stanley together when Stella tells Blanche "there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark---that sort of make everything else seem---unimportant" (p.70).  She is basically saying that the sex is so good it makes everything ok.  It seems pretty shallow that that is the only thing holding their relationship together.  However now that they are having a baby, which is the end result of their activities in bed, they have something else to hold them together.

At the end of their conversation, in scene four, Blanche really unleashes and lets Stella know how she really feels about Stanley.  Neither one of them know, but Stanley is in the other room and overhears everything Blanche says.  Blanches tells Stella that Stanley is not a human, that he never evolved like everyone else.  She begs Stella to move on.  She makes quite a few references to animals including "acts like an animal...eats like one, moves like one", "apes gather", "grunting like him", "gnawing and hulking", and "party of apes" (p.72).  Her monologue is pretty harsh, but surprisingly Stanley does not confront her about it.  He calmly walks in and acts like nothing has happened.

One small event that adds to the theme of Blanche being very conscious of her age happens in chapter five.  A young man comes to collect money for the paper and Blanche starts to talk to him.  She makes advances at him and is pretty suggestive.  She eventually kisses him once and tells him to leave.  These actions by Blanche seems to prove to herself that she still has "it" and that maybe there is still someone out there that could love her.

The last event that is important in these scenes occurs in scene six.  The whole scene is devoted to Blanche and Mitch.  The two of them go on a date and seem to have a good time.  As the night draws on they eventually make it back to Stella's house and they enter.  They have the place to themselves and start to talk.  Blanche plays hard to get even though she knows what Mitch really wants.  After some awkward moments Blanche turns the conversation to herself and talks about a boy she used to love.  She goes on and on until she finally starts to cry.  Mitch comforts her and says "You need somebody.  And I need somebody, too.  Could it be---you and me Blanche?" (p.96)  This is where the scene ends, but it leave the audience guessing.  Perhaps Blanche and Mitch will continue their relationship.