Blanche is in the middle of writing a letter full of

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Blanche is in the middle of writing a letter full of lies, describing a jet-set life for Stella and
Blanche to Shep, her millionaire friend.
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Upstairs, Eunice and Steve are fighting. Eunice rushes down out of the apartment, saying
she's going to call the police. Stanley comes home, dressed to bowl. Steve comes down,
with a bruise on his forehead; Stanley tells Steve that Eunice has gone to a
neighborhood bar. He rushes out to find her.
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Stanley asks some unsettling questions. A friend of his goes through Laurel, Blanche'
and Stella's hometown, this friend claims that Blanche was a guest at a disreputable
hotel called the Flamingo. Blanche denies it. Stanley leaves. Steve and Eunice come
home, Eunice sobbing and Steve trying to make it up to her.
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Blanche is shaken. She asks if Stella has heard any rumors about her; Stella is baffled by
Blanche's behavior. Blanche admits that she "wasn't so good" during the last few years;
she sought comfort with men. She insinuates that she was sexually intimate with these
men, but Stella has stopped listen because Blanche is being so morbid. Blanche is
clearly on edge.
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Stella fixes her a drink. Blanche gushes with emotion and affection for Stella; Stella is
embarrassed by Blanche's sentimentality.
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Stella and Blanche talk about Mitch. Blanche will be going out with him later that night.
Blanche is quite taken with him. She hopes that their relationship can go somewhere.
Stella leaves for an outing with Stanley. Eunice bounds out of the apartment, shrieking
with laughter, and Steve chases after her.
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A young man comes to collect for the paper. Blanche hits on him with shocking
forwardness. The young man, a boy probably not out of his teens, seems nervous and
excited at the same time. Finally, she kisses him, and then sends him on his way.
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Mitch comes with a dozen roses, and Blanche accepts them with mock-formality.

Scene 5 – Analysis.
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The theme of illusion runs through this scene, and we see how the past is beginning to
catch up with Blanche. Stanley is learning of her past, and her old desires are coming
back to haunt her.
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We watch Blanche fabricate a series of lies in her telegraph to Shep. She has no
qualms; the truth is less interesting than the illusion she offers, so why not ?
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Blanche is not the only character with some fear of the truth. When she confesses to
Stella about her behavior in Laurel, Stella stops listening - whenever Blanche is morbid;
this convenient ability to block out the truth foreshadows Stella's betrayal of Blanche at
the end of the play.
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Dramatic tension created around a conflict between Stanley and Blanche – she
‘recognises his entrance with nervous glances’
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Blanche’s star sign is ironic – Virgo – ‘the virgin’ – does she want to relciame her virginity
spiritually and emotionally? Create a new life for herself.