2.1.1 Blanche’s Opinion of Stanley

In scene 4, at the poker night, Stanley snatches the radio off the table and tosses the instrument out the window only because the sound from the radio makes him agitated. What is worse, to Blanche’s surprise, Stella still comes back home and sleeps with Stanley after his domestic violence to Stella. In order to persuade Stella to get out of Stanley, the sisters have a hot controversy. Blanche yells to Stella that, “He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits” (Williams, 1980:83)! In her eyes, “There’s even something -- sub-human -- something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something -- ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I’ve seen in -- anthropological studies” (Williams, 1980:83)! It emerges from Blanche’s lines that her disaffection of Stanley finally breaks out and his behaviors make him a total brute. In fact, it is not hard to find that how Blanche describes Stanley is similar to homosexual’s feeling towards the society in Tennessee’s age. The persecution they get from the society does not accord with humanity. Just as Blanche appeals, “In some kinds of people some tenderer feelings have had some little beginning! That we have got to make grow! And cling to, and hold as our flag! In this dark march toward whatever it is we’re approaching.... Don’t -- don’t hang back with the brutes” (Williams, 1980:83)!来!自-优.尔,论:文+网www.chuibin.com

2.1.2 Blanche’s Fear of Exposure

As homosexuals are regarded as depraved by the society, they lead a rootless life, afraid of being exposed to straight, which to some extent leads to their fear of light. In other words, they like darkness. In Streetcar, in Blanche’s first appearance, Tennessee describes that, “Her delicate beauty must avoid a strong light” (Williams, 1980:5). What is more, in scene 9, when Mitch says it is dark there, what Blanche responds to him is that, “I like it dark. The dark is comforting to me” (Williams, 1980:143). After Blanche’s first meet with Stanley, she is clearly caught in the fear of being uncovered her mask by him. When arguing with him about the loss of Belle Reve, she hysterically screams, “I hurt him the way that you would like to hurt me, but you can’t” (Williams, 1980:42)! Obviously, the line is pregnant with meaning. That is to say, it not only means that Blanche foresees her same ending as Allan, but also can be seen as the connection between Blanche and Allan, a homosexual who suicides because of his fear of exposure.