How does Stella respond to what Stanley says? Does she believe him?

• How does Stella respond to what Stanley says? Does she believe him?

Stella at first has the courage to defend Blanche, and refers to their life back home but as Stanley describes what had happened, Stella becomes drawn in and falls to Stanley's accusations. This may only because she knew how Blanche was in life and admits that it could be like her to act like that.The face that Blanche was singing the words, gives an effect on Stella's feeling and awareness. 

• Explain this stage direction using evidence from the text and commenting on language and dramatic irony.

When Blanche is singing in the scene, the author, Williams creates some sort of dramatic irony which expresses the types of situations going on, including how Stanley is talking to Stella about the news and Blanche not being aware of this. The song that she sings is dramatic irony in itself because the specific words add up to create a foreshadow of whats to come, especially when the words,"...But it wouldn't be make-believe. If you believed in me, "is sung by Blanche. The fact that she sings may give us an impression that she really means and that she really is the innocent one, only because of how powerful words are when they are sung. In this case Stella doesn't know the truth but she either has a choice to believe Blanche or not.

Another point is that the conversation is going on while Blanche is singing, giving a very tense atmosphere to be set off. For some reason, Stella seems to be in the middle of it, either siding with Stanley's words of choosing Blanches singing- distinctively her words. Somehow, Williams wanted the audience to understand that Stella is caught up in this abstract fight between the other two characters.

• Discuss the reasons why Stanley wants to 'expose' Blanche as a fraud.

-Jealous: He does not think highly of Blanche as she is of an upperclass status, and throughout the play we can identify that Stanley is against this.

-Understands her: He seems to think there is a dark side to her because she appears to be a 'good girl.' ;Wants to be proved right

-Reputation: He might want to get rid of her because of what she had been doing in her past which may have been looked upon.

-Revenge: referring the scene where Stanley overhears Blanche describing him negatively, which may have given off a dangerous spark that Stanley wants to get rid of, to get rid of her.

-Mitch: Seeing as he has a good relationship with Mitch he may not want him to get hurt in any way form Blanche.