2.3.1

Scene Three: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

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Scene Three: Summary

The scene opens with the poker party. The talk is of the card game itself while Mitch explains that he lives with his mother, but is unmarried and alone.

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Stanley describes Mitch

  • Stanley is described by Mitch as being on his "high horse", which perhaps shows that Stanley’s normal demeanour has been interrupted by Blanche’s arrival.
  • Matching the historical period, Steve tells a racist joke about African-Americans, chicken and corn.
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Stella and Blanche return

  • On returning from their night out, Stella and Blanche watch the game for a while.
  • Blanche admits she feels "hot and frazzled". This is perhaps as much from Stanley’s interrogation of her as the heat and oppressive atmosphere of the city of New Orleans itself.
  • They enter and are introduced to the rest of the card players.
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Blanche meets Mitch

  • While going to the bathroom, Blanche meets Mitch, one of Stanley’s poker player buddies. His courteous manner sets him apart from the other men as Stella asks him about the health of his mother.
  • Blanche asks Stella about Mitch. It's clear that he and Stanley work at the same plant.
  • It's obvious that Blanche fancies him. She changes her clothing to make herself look more seductive, commenting that other wives in New Orleans are fat and ugly.
  • This is probably a direct reference to Eunice.
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Blanche woos Mitch

  • Blanche manoeuvres to meet Mitch and their chat becomes flirtatious and friendly. They discuss a cigarette case and notions of sorrow.
  • Blanche explains the origins of her name ("DuBois means wood and Blanche means white").
  • Blanche asks Mitch to use a paper lantern to cover up the light bulb because she says she can't "stand a naked light bulb."
  • Blanche says she tried to teach young, uninterested students English.
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Stanley rages

  • Suddenly, becoming upset over multiple interruptions (including the noise of the radio and Mitch’s absence), Stanley explodes in a drunken rage. He chases Stella and strikes her off-stage.
  • Mitch observes that poker should not be played in a house where women are present.
  • Blanche and Stella take refuge with the upstairs neighbour, Eunice. Stanley goes to the bathroom to splash water over himself to cool off his drunkenness and hot-headedness.
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Stanley apologises

  • When Stanley recovers, he goes downstairs and cries out from the courtyard below for Stella to come back by repeatedly calling her name until she comes down and allows herself to be carried off to bed.
  • After Stella returns to Stanley, Blanche and Mitch sit at the bottom of the steps in the courtyard, where Mitch apologizes for Stanley’s coarse behaviour. Again, Blanche refers to Mitch’s kindness – a direct link to the end of the play.

Scene Three: Tragedy Genre

Here are some key ideas that relate to the idea of tragedy:

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Stanley's rage

  • The combination of gambling, drinking and female company appears to guarantee some dramatic blow-up. This comes in the form of Stanley’s rage and abusive behaviour towards Stella.
  • Despite his drinking and violence, at the end of the scene Stella appears to forgive Stanley and is again complicit with him.
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Tragedy unfolding

  • This scene is perhaps typical of the way in which a modern tragedy unfolds. The characters are placed into uncomfortable situations which they have to rage against.
  • At the start, the poker game subverts normal domesticity but in the end, Stanley craves that domesticity once more.
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Violence and wider society

  • The violence inflicted on Stella demonstrates that tragedy does not lurk very far under the surface of society in New Orleans.
  • Whilst there is outward order, chaos appears to be breaking through.

Jump to other topics

1Context & Overview

2Scene Summaries

3Character Profiles

4Key Ideas

5Writing Techniques

6Critical Debates

7Ideas About Tragedy

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