A Streetcar Named Desire-10 Years Later

A Steetcar Named Desire 10 Years Later

Scene 12

It has been ten years since Blanche DuBois was committed to a mental hospital following her rape by Stanley Kowalski. For much of her time there she has been in a state of delusion, unaware of where she was or what had caused her sister Stella, who is also Stanley's husband, to send her there and was thus unable to talk about what had happened. But recently she has started to break free of her delirium. She is slowly beginning to remember things. She is no longer in the mindset of being on vacation in the country but has begun working with a therapist to uncover the past.

Blanche sits in the well-lit office of the therapist who was assigned to her case. She is comfortable on the couch. Unbeknownst to her, she is wearing the same Mardi Gras dress she wore the night she was assaulted. She is sober now, whereas back at the Kowalski residence she had been drinking heavily towards the end of her time there. Her therapist Dr. Justin Boorstein, a balding man of 40 wearing a suit, sat across from her with a notepad in his lap. His pen poised to take notes whenever necessary during their conversation. Before beginning their session, he recapped their last conversation.

DR. BOORSTEIN: [In a soothing tone] So Blanche, we made some good progress in our last

session. You remembered that this time ten years ago, you were living with your sister Stella and her husband Stanley. Stella had been pregnant. You were staying there after being pushed out of Laurel. You had tried to strike up a relationship with Stanley's friend Mitch, but things have clearly changed between the two of you considering how he acted when you came here. The man who picked you up described him as seeming nervous and having a slight look of guilt. Have you managed to remember why yet?

BLANCHE: [With a confused expression] I have tried, but so far, I simply cannot remember.

DR. BOORSTEIN: That's alright. Things can take time to come back, especially considering

how long it has been. Some memories may never return, but in the meantime, we can still do everything possible to help move things along. Last time, we ended with discussing your tumultuous relationship with Stanley. You described him as being very annoyed by having you around. He treated you like an intruder in his castle. The last thing you remember is him leaving and going to the hospital with Stella to have the baby.

BLANCHE: That is correct.

DR. BOORSTEIN: They left, but you stayed behind. Why?

BLANCHE: I was drinking and waiting for someone. I hadn't heard from them for a while. I

assumed they would come to see me, but it had been so long I partially lost hope.

DR. BOORSTEIN: Do you know who you were waiting for?

BLANCHE: It was a man. I only vaguely remem-

DR. BOORSTEIN: Blanche, are you ok?

BLANCHE: It was Mitch. I had been seeing him. But then Stanley told him about my past. What

I did back in Laurel. So he broke up with me. A few hours later, Stanley returned. He too had been drinking. You know, that man... he drank a lot. He always told everyone that I drank a lot. And I did... but not to the point of being drunk.

DR. BOORSTEIN: Blanche, you're rambling again. Remember what I said, take your time and

center your thoughts. What happened after Stanley returned?

BLANCHE: Yes, yes. He came back to the house drunk. Stella was not going to have the baby

for several more hours so the doctors told him to leave. We began talking about Mitch and what he had done. I lied to him. He became angry. And then, oh my...