MITCH AND BLANCHE

3. MITCH AND BLANCHE

a) What impression does Blanche try to give Mitch about herself?

She tries to give him a good first impression, as he seems “superior to the others” (49); he could be of ‘interest’ for the future she has imagined when coming there. So:

- She plays the game of appearance with him: “feigned difficulty” (53). She pretends to be pure, upper class, decent, mannered…”Two is the limit -  and three! Tonight I had three.” (54)

→ She flirts with him, but discreetly and pretending this is the result of alcohol (alcohol she drank, because she couldn’t get home due to the poker party ➔ the men are responsible for it, always someone else’s responsibility, never Blanche’s).

→ She completely lies to him, pretending she’s younger than Stella and that she came to help Stella with her baby, which is totally wrong (both cases) (55).

b) What do you learn about Mitch’s background? Why is he attracted to Blanche? Why is she attracted to him?

- Not married; takes care of his sick mother; fears to be alone after his mother’s death -> looking for a nice wife who would fill his solitude.

- He’s attracted to Blanche, because he ‘needs’ a wife and Blanche is pretty, upper class, has nice looks and manners = jackpot. She is cultured (verses of the poem bottom 53) and sensitive (54). She’s DIFFERENT from the women he has met so far ➔ more interesting.

- Blanche came there in the hope to improve her future. Without money and house, she needs protection. Mitch can offer her what she needs and he seems to be “superior”, more “sensitive” than the other men, who are rude = jackpot, too.

At the end of the scene, he appears as the knight to save the princess “Thank you for being so kind. I need kindness now” (61). When he arrives, “the music fades away” (60) so lessening Stanley’s power.

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