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Act One, Part 3

Summary

In their bedroom, Eugene tells Stanley about a weird dream he had, and Stanley explains that Eugene had a “wet dream.” The brothers discuss masturbation with Stanley providing some misinformation. Eugene confesses his crush on Nora, and Stanley tells him that he can’t be in love with his cousin.

Meanwhile, Blanche and Kate drink tea in the kitchen. The anniversary of Dave’s death is coming up. Kate believes that Blanche should meet new men, and she asks her sister to come to Jack’s company party the following week, but Blanche already has a dinner date with their neighbor, Mr. Murphy. Kate is upset because she thinks Mr. Murphy drinks. Blanche admits that they took a walk on the beach the previous week. The sisters briefly quarrel about Mr. Murphy but then make up. 

Nora returns to the house and asks about the audition, demanding that Blanche decide. Blanche tells Nora she has to stay in school, as Jack advised, and may not audition for the job, and Nora stalks out. Everyone leaves Kate and Jack alone in the living room. Soon, however, Stanley enters and asks to talk with his father. After Jack sends Kate to bed, Stanley explains that he got fired because he stood up for his principles. He tells Jack what happened and adds that he didn’t want to do anything without talking to his father first. Jack sees both sides. The family needs the money, but Stanley’s actions also show courage. He wonders if the family can afford principles. Stanley makes up his mind to write an apology to help his family. Back in the boys’ bedroom, Eugene offers to write the letter for Stanley if Stanley tells him what Nora looks like naked.

Analysis

At the end of Act One, Nora learns her mother’s final decision, which is essentially Jack’s decision. Blanche’s chronic refusal to take ownership of the issue means that Nora isn’t immediately willing to accept the final answer. “I’ll let you know in the morning what my decision is,” Nora tells Blanche, indicating that in Nora’s mind, she is now grown up and ready to function as an independent adult. There have been subtle clues to her way of thinking throughout the act, in Nora’s longing for a house of their own and her willingness to work to earn money for it. With Nora’s statement, the audience knows that trouble lies ahead for this mother-daughter relationship.

The other young adult in the house has made a decision that stands in contrast to Nora’s refusal to accept adult authority. Stanley, who would rather stick to his principles, opts to write a letter of apology so he can return to work and his salary. The audience doesn’t know whether Stanley makes this choice out of respect for his father’s opinion or out of an understanding of his family’s financial needs. Likely, in Stanley’s mind, the two are mixed. To be a member of the Jerome-Morton clan means to be responsible for others and to adhere to the traditional family order, which has long held that the head of the family—the father—knows best.

As Act One draws to a close, the audience understands that for the past few years, the Jerome-Morton clan has functioned as one combined family whose members all work to help one another. These incidents with Stanley and Nora, however, along with Jack’s loss of his job, have created a potentially combustible situation.

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