After she left, Blanche Dubois arrives on the black. She looks at the address, being shocked of the surroundings. She cannot believe in what conditions her sister lives. Eunice, the landlady, helps her into the Kowalski apartment. Eunice mentions, that she saw pictures of their home, Belle Reve. She is wondering whether such a place is hard to keep. After a short while of small talk, Blanche is exhausted and not in the mood for small talk, that she wants to be left alone and wants to see Stella. Finally, Eunice walks of to fetch Stella. Stella and Blanche greet each other with some emotion. Things start out warmly enough, but after a while, Blanche is bad-tempered. Blanche clearly dominates their relationship. Blanche was married once but because of her very special way she got divorced. The family Dubois used to be incredibly rich. However, after their father, the head of the family died, the costs for his funeral were immense, they literally lost everything. Blanche had to give her house up, due to her little income as a teacher. They are talking about the poor conditions Stella lives in. Stella admits, how much she desires Stanley. Blanche seems to reject of the relationship because the Dubois sisters come from Southern aristocracy, and now Stella is married to a "Pollack." This is a shame in Blanches eyes. Blanche has further bad news: Belle Reve has been lost. They could not keep it. Blanche, with her teacher's salary, couldn't keep the place up. Caring for all of their dying relatives, while Stella left. This is what Blanche reproaches Stella. Blanche is full of bitterness, anger, and her harshness makes Stella cry because they lost everything. While Stella goes to the bathroom to wash her face, Stanley comes home. Outside, Stanley, who clearly dominates the relationship between him and his Stella, Steve, and Mitch, who is living with his mother, plan their next poker game. Stanley enters, giving Blanche a truthful stare. They have an uncomfortable conversation. In this conversation Blanche drinks whiskey, which makes it obviously easier to express her concerns. She, however, answers to Stanley’s question for some more whiskey, that she had rarely touched it. After all, she drinks another glass. Stanley is course and rough compared to the subtle Blanche, he is a very sexually orientated man, a macho type, who enjoys determining women.
