Scene Five: Summary & Tragedy Ideas

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Scene Five: Summary

Scene Five sees something of a break in the main progression of the play’s plot.

Blanche seems determined to carry on with her plan of writing to Shep Huntleigh for help.
Whilst she is writing, and Stella is dressing, they hear the noise of an argument upstairs between the Hubbels.
Eunice and Steve are arguing about a blonde woman who Steve has supposedly been seeing.
Blanche thinks he may have killed her but, in fact, she storms out, threatening to call the police. Steve is worried she will confide in a "hunk" at "The Four Deuces".

Blanche and Stanley debate the personality types of astrological signs.
Stanley brings up the fact that he knows a man called Shaw who met Blanche at the notorious Hotel Flamingo back in Laurel.
It is clear that the Hotel Flamingo houses prostitutes. Blanche says the Flamingo is not the kind of place where she would be seen.
Clearly, Stanley has been covertly investigating his sister-in-law’s past.

Blanche worries about her reputation and so confides in Stella.
In a guarded way, Blanche suggests that society is not sympathetic to broken, single women. Blanche says she had to put on a show.
Stella finds her story "morbid". She knows it could be her story if she left Stanley.

Blanche talks about her future and hopes she won’t stay long with Stella and Stanley.
She is nervous though and drops her drink. All the while, Stella seems to enjoy caring for her sister.
Blanche admits that she needs to rest, indicating a disruptive past and that she does want Mitch. This is contrasted with the regained domesticity of Steve and Eunice. Blanche is drinking too much and Stella warns her not to do so.

There is a hint of interracial seduction with a Black Woman and a Young man who is out collecting for the Evening Star.
He comes to the door and Blanche answers. Blanche flirts with him. Blanche notes that the weather is rainy and that he is like a "little bit of Eternity dropped in".
Blanche calls the Young Man "honey lamb", tells him how handsome he is and kisses him on the lips. Then, Blanche sends him away. She says she must keep her hands off children.

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

It seems that the wider tragedy of the Age – and of couples not living in matrimonial harmony – does not only affect Stella and Stanley. It affects Steve and Eunice as well. The violence used again reflects the tragic circumstances in which people are forced to live.

Stanley feels that he needs to investigate Blanche’s past.
A key issue in this scene is reputation concerning the rumours that circulate about Blanche. In the end, reputation brings about Blanche's demise and ruin.
She recognises that modern society is unable to cope with women who have reputations. They are side-lined.

The interaction with the Young Man does not make sense until later in the play. We learn that Blanche was once married to a young man who ended up committing suicide after Blanche said he disgusted her. So her sexual promiscuity might come from her desire to replace her now-deceased young husband and reflect her guilt over this incident.
In other words, as she once failed to support her young husband, she may now be trying to compensate by giving herself to other young men.

Mitch is caught in tragic events because he is still keen to impress Blanche, knowing nothing of her true background – or even of the fact that she has just tried to seduce a younger man before his arrival.