Martina Cowen, Section 13

A Streetcar Named Desire Stanley

All I want is a wife wholl cook for me and leave me alone when Im busy bowling or playing poker. Is

that too much to ask? I love Stella. Shes beautiful. She has a backside that I cant help but slap. But

she needs to learn how to hold her tongue. I was in the army. Following orders is not difficult. I

should know. Why women seem to have a problem with it is beyond me. I also dont like surprises.

So, when I come home from bowling to see Stellas sister Blanche in my house, it does not sit well

with me. Something doesnt seem right about her. She looks pale and nervous. Stella is in the

bathroom so I try to have a conversation with Blanche. She seems afraid of me. I like that.

Apparently shes staying here. Just what I need. Another woman to piss me off. She tells me about

her dead husband. She looks ill. Theres something definitely not right about this woman.

The next day I come home to find that Blanche has commandeered the bathroom to soak in the

bath. Stella is taking her out. She says that Blanche needs long baths to calm her nerves. When I

find out why, I am furious. I can feel the anger simmering under my skin, but I keep a lid on it for

now. Shes lost Belle Reve. Blanche has lost the farm. She didnt sell it. Im getting mad now.

Stella doesnt want Blanche to hear me, but I dont care. That property was mine. The Napoleonic

Code whats mine is yours! Stella doesnt get it. She was always a little simple. Im going to

question Blanche when she gets out of the bath I knew there was something not right about her.

Shes swindled me out of my property. Stella thinks Blanche is too weak to discuss it, but I can see

when someones trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Blanche has all these fancy clothes. Theres

no way she bought those on her salary. Im getting someone to come in and appraise these clothes.

I dont believe Stellas poor explanations for them. Im getting fed up of Stellas attitude. Shes so

quick to defend her sister that she wont listen to reason. But more than that, shes getting lippy

with me. I wont stand for that in my house. Blanche has finally finished in the bathroom. Shes

asking me to do up her dress. Is she flirting with me? Shes fishing for compliments. Im not biting. I

1
question her about Belle Reve. She is evasive about it. She finally goes to give me the papers for the

farm but I spy something more interesting in her trunk. They are love letters from her dead husband.

When I grab them, she goes insane, saying that shell have to burn them now Ive touched them.

Then all of a sudden shes calm again. Theres something dreadfully wrong with this woman and I

dont want her in my house. She hands me the papers to the farm. Im going to get a lawyer friend

of mine to look at them. I talk about the Napoleonic Code and about Stella having a baby. Blanche

didnt know Stella was pregnant. She weakens suddenly. When Stella enters, Blanche rushes to her.

I put the papers in a safe place. I want to know what this woman is hiding from me. I am not an idiot

theres something wrong with her.

That night I am playing poker with the local men, the drinks are flowing fast and I am drunk.

Everyone in this game is a cheat. Mitch wants to leave to go back home to his sick mother, like the

mamas boy he is. As were playing, Stella and Blanche come home. Im not happy. I dont want

them here ruining my night. The only good thing about Stella being here is that I can smack her

backside. Theyre in the other room and I can hear them giggling about something and its getting on

my nerves big time, so I tell them to shut up. Then they turn on music and I am starting to get mad.

Mitch isnt even paying attention to the game. I see him looking through the drapes into the other

room hes looking at Blanche. Oh for crying out loud! Hes gone in there to talk to her. It makes

me angry to see a respectable man like Mitch falling for a floozy like Blanche. I can hear them talking

behind the drapes. Ive had enough. I race through to the bedroom and rip the radio out of its

socket. Stella is shouting at me and in my drunken rage I throw it out of the window. Mitch is

arguing with me, and I cant take it anymore. I storm back inside and strike Stella. She screams. I

cant calm down. The men pull me inside, Stella is crying, Blanche is telling Mitch to take Stella away.

I cant tell whats going on. Mitch is bad mouthing me and tells the men to put me under the shower

to sober me up. Ive had enough. The men run away like cowards. Where is Stella? Where is my

girl? I know shes upstairs with Steve and Eunice. I phone them. I wont stop ringin till I talk with

her. I go to the bottom of the stairs and scream her name. Eunice wont let me see her. I scream

2
and scream Stellas name until finally I see her appear. Suddenly I am overcome with guilt. I love her.

I promise I wont hurt her or the baby ever again. I dont know what I would do if she left me. I carry

her home in my arms. Shes mine.

I need to get Stella out of my house. I know shes poisoning my girl against me. Telling her she

deserves better, that she should leave me. Well who is she to judge me? Im no fool. I know my

liquor supply has been disappearing rapidly since she got here. Shes a thief. Shes mad, thats what

she is. No money, no reputation, no morals and an alcoholic. Shes a fine one to judge me. She

needs to go. Stella wont leave me though. Shes too in love with me.

Weeks have passed and Blanche is still taking up space in my house. I walk towards my door with

some laundry and I can hear Steve and Eunice fighting. Steves been cheating on Eunice and I think I

heard him kick her. Im not getting involved. Its Steves business, not mine. Eunice runs off. I go

inside and see Blanche and Stella. I cant stand her. Shes asking about my star sign like it means

anything. Shes full of bull and Im gonna catch her out. I lean over her and ask her if she knows

anyone named Shaw. She pales. Ive caught her. She wont admit it but I can see it in her eyes.

Shes a common whore and Im getting her out of my house. I cant stand to look at her so I leave.

Steve and Eunice are reconciling outside. When I return I grab at Stella, but she pulls away. I know

this is her sister putting thoughts into her head. I follow Stella and leave Blanche to her own devices.

Mitch is supposed to be coming round to see her soon. I dont know what he sees in her but I am

determined to rescue him before he falls into her clutches. Later that day, I see the young lad who

collects for the Evening Star talking to some of his friends. He seems very excited and is talking very

animatedly about something. As I draw closer I hear him recalling something that happened today

about a woman who seduced him and kissed him on the mouth. There is no doubt in my mind who

this woman is. Shes just digging herself a deeper hole. Shes going on a date with Mitch tonight. I

need to talk to him as a matter of urgency. The poor guy thinks shes lily white.

3
A few weeks later, I walk into my apartment and I barely recognise the place. Blanches feminine

touches are ruining the atmosphere. This is my house not hers. Stellas set up a birthday party for

Blanche. Blanche is in the bath yet again. Today is the day Im outing this woman for what she is. I

spill everything I know about her about all the men, about the hotel Flamingo. Stella doesnt

believe me when I tell her, but shell understand. Stella starts to tell me personal stuff about

Blanche. I dont care if her husband was a degenerate. All I care about is the recent facts, and the

recent facts are that shes a vain whore with an alcohol problem and a taste for young boys. Mitch is

supposed to be coming to this party. I doubt very much that hell show up considering that Ive clued

him in on Blanches true nature. Stella is upset, but I dont care. Mitch is my buddy and Ill be

damned if I let him go down that path. Its over, and Im so happy. Im getting her out of my house

and out of my life. I bought her a present fitting since its her birthday. Shes going on the bus back

to Laurel. I bought her a ticket. I cant wait for her to leave so I can get my life back. Blanche finally

exits the bathroom and I go in, slamming the door behind me.

The birthday dinner went as I had expected. Mitch did not show up. Blanche is drunk again. Shes

trying to make out like shes not dying inside but I know she is. She tells a terribly unfunny story and

when I dont laugh, Stella crosses the line. I will not have my own wife offend me like that, calling me

names. How dare she? I snap and sweep everything off of the table and onto the floor. I am the

king around here and they need to be reminded of that. I go outside to cool off. I hear Blanche say

that she wants to call Mitch and Stella trying to convince her not to. Blanche seems upset and

nervous. I like that. I go to Stella and pull her onto the porch. I want her to know how great things

are going to be once Blanche is gone. Well have our baby and everything will be ok between us

again. We go back inside and Blanche is acting strange. She doesnt want Stella to light her birthday

candles, and when I say that her hot, steamy bath has caused the whole apartment to be hot, she

loses it. She calls me a Polack. I am NOT a Polack and I wont be called one. Im an American. I was

born and raised here, I fought for my country. No one calls me a Polack. The phone rings and

Blanche jumps for it, but I get there before here. Its Mac. He wants to go bowling. Blanche is

4
wailing in the background. I yell at her to shut up. Im getting mad, but I know I have the power in

this situation. I get off the phone and present her with my gift. When she sees what it is, she starts

sobbing and runs to the bedroom. Stella is still defending her sister, telling me that she was a

delicate child but people forced her to change by being cruel to her. I couldnt care less. Im going

bowling. Stella does not like this and grabs my arm, ripping my shirt. I get her off of me, pushing her

hard. I will not let Blanche ruin my marriage. Everything was fine until she turned up. Stella seems

like shes in pain. My heart stops. This is it. Shes having my baby.

Later I found out that while we were at the hospital, Mitch went over to see Blanche. If Id been

there I would have told him not to bother. But he wanted to confront her for lying to him. He knows

the truth now. I think he tried it on with her but didnt get far. Too bad. Thats all shes good for.

Later that evening I return from the hospital to find Blanche, drunk as anything, and still drinking,

dressed in a ridiculous dress and tiara. She asks after Stella and I tell her shes fine but the baby

wont come before morning. Its just me and her in the house. Shes talking nonsense about getting

a telegram from an old admirer whos invited her on some Caribbean cruise. Its a load of nonsense.

Shes so deluded. I take off my shirt. I didnt plan this, but I am starting to want her. She doesnt

want to and that just makes me want her more. To teach her a lesson if nothing else for calling me

names, for drinking my liquor, for poisoning my wife against me. She knows I told Mitch about her

true character. She tells me that he came back to beg for her back after he rejected her. Shes a liar.

Shes a lying to herself and to everyone else. She cant even keep her story straight. There was no

telegram from a millionaire. Mitch didnt come back and give her roses. I know where he is. But she

cant trick me. I love seeing her squirm. Ive got her in a trap and she knows it. I go into the

bathroom. I can hear Blanche trying to phone for help from this imaginary millionaire. I come back

out. I smile menacingly. I love seeing her scared of me. Im the king here. She needs to remember

that. She wants to leave. Im not going to let her and she knows it. I am calm and she is distraught.

She smashes an empty bottle (that she emptied no doubt) and faces me with it, threatening to twist

5
it in my face. Thats when I go for it. I grab her, force the bottle from her hand and carry her towards

my bed. Im going to enjoy this.

A few days later, Stella is back from the hospital with the baby who is staying upstairs with Steve and

Eunice. Blanche is getting ready to leave. Shes in for a shock. She thinks shes off to stay with that

imaginary millionaire. I am thrilled to be getting my life back. I dont know if Stella knows what I did

to Blanche, but if she does shes not saying anything. Just the way I like it. Im playing poker. Mitch

is getting on my nerves, when all of a sudden he snaps and starts saying nasty things about me. I

have no idea where this has come from. Blanche has come out of the bathroom and suddenly Mitch

is thinking about her. I wont have it. I bring him back to the game. The doorbell rings. Its for

Blanche! Its the doctor and his nurse come to take her away from this house, from me and my

family. Blanche doesnt understand. She still thinks shes going to live with this millionaire from

Dallas. This just shows how much the doctor was necessary. Shes resisting now, getting very

distressed, as the nurse restrains her. Mitch, the fool he is, attacks me. I saved him. He should be

grateful. The men pull him away from me. The doctor seems calmer than the nurse. He tells the

nurse to let go of Blanche and Blanche goes willingly but she doesnt seem to know whats

happening. Its like shes in another place, another time. Stella is distraught. I console her.

Everything is going to be alright. Things are going to be fine. The card game goes on...