As Stella tells Stanley of the loss of Belle Reve it is evident that she is unaware of what has actually happened to Belle Reve as she tells Stanley of it “vaguely”. Her lack of knowledge of what’s happened to her inheritance could due to the pressure of Stanley and the pregnancy. Stella is fully aware of her sisters histrionic personality as she continuously asks Stanley to “be nice to her” and to “say something nice about her appearance.” Stanley clearly shows disregard to what his wife is saying by dismissing her comments with the term: “So?” From this, the audience can already decipher that Stanley is quite disrespectful as he doesn’t respond to his wife. As this conversation progresses the audience’s sympathy will begin to fade for Stanley as he begins to antagonise Stella. The audience may also begin to question Stanley’s deep concern about the loss of Belle Reve. The most obvious reason to his curiosity would be that he eagerly awaits a share of the property which may explain Stanley and Stella’s marriage and the sexual love they share instead of a pure, unconditional love.
As Stanley grows more inquisitive about the loss of Belle Reve he tries to overwhelm Stella with his new found knowledge. He refers to the Napoleonic Code and how it entitled each spouses to their others’ but this is somewhat melodramatic and points toward his stupidity as the Napoleonic law wouldn’t cover Belle Reve as Belle Reve is located in Mississippi , not New Orleans. Stanley also grows cocky by using the terms: “inquire” and “acquainted” which are words clearly not in vocabulary. Making the assumption that Blanche is a crook, Stanley tells Stella that both he and she have been “swindled”.
Stanley antagonistic nature prevails as he empties Blanche’s trunk. This exposure of Blanche’s clothes is a minor yet clear invasion of privacy but this invasion of privacy intensifies toward the end of the play when Stanley finally rapes Blanche. As Stanley explores Blanche’s clothes he makes further comments to enhance his stupidity and confirm his assumption that Stella has been “swindled” by believing that Blanche’s inexpensive furs are genuine fox-fur pieces and her rhinestone tiara is a diamond tiara. Blanche’s fake possessions are all she owns and this is in fact a metaphor of who she is, she likes to shy away from reality and appear to be something she’s not.
Stella and Stanley’s conversation end with Stanley refusing to follow Stella outside. Stella’s inability to defend her sister whilst Stanley openly attacks her and invades her privacy is an indication of the obedience she has toward him. Stanley dominates much of their conversation by antagonising Stella although much of what he makes reference are exaggerations of his own ideas. His belief that Blanche’s furs are real fox-pieces and Rhinestone is diamond not only emphasises his stupidity but points at the class distinctions between Stanley and the sisters. Although Stanley has highlighted his inanity he is fully aware and able to infuriate his wife. Although Stella knows most of what Stanley’s assumptions are untrue, she allows herself to become upset which illustrates not only how faint-hearted she is but also the control Stanley has over her.
As Blanche emerges from the bathroom she is dressed in a red satin robe which not only reflects her flirtatious mood but is symbolic of the Scarlet woman in the bible. In Revelations:17, a woman dressed in red is regarded as immoral and promiscuous. Blanche’s bathing develops into a motif throughout the course of the play as she bathes in attempt to cleanse herself of the sins she’s committed in her past. Her bathing also heightens tension between her and Stanley as the apartment is so small and claustrophobic.
Dramatic irony ensues Blanche and Stanley’s conversation as the audience are fully aware of Stanley’s mood at this stage and Blanche unaware, playfully continues to flirt with him. Nonetheless, Stanley fails to be drawn into Blanche’s attempt to seduce him by asking for help with her back buttons and indulging in flirty conversation. The audience soon learns what Stanley thinks of women and what type of women Stanley prefers. His reference to women as “dolls” imply he sees women as playful accessories and his dislike for the “Hollywood glamour type” suggests he prefers simple women most likely in order to dominate and control the relationships.
