The Character of Doris in 'A Cream Cracker Under the Settee' by Alan Bennett

A Cream Cracker Under The Settee is a Monologue, this means it is just 1 person speaking instead of like a normal play, like a normal play it has different characters, like the policeman or the boy said to be ‘spending a penny’ but these do not have a role of great significance, so it just mainly focuses on the main character, Doris.

Blanche’s financial decline, illuminating her vulnerability, links to Aristotle’s theory that the tragic heroine must fall, allowing the audience to relate to her. Her insecurities – “I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare!” stereotypically reflects the insecurities women feel about their appearance and age. The uses of imperatives and exclamatory sentences suggests Blanche’s obsession over her appearance, a flaw leading her to dismiss her true identity. Her inability to avoid drink and her compulsive lies, demonstrated in her frequent references to Shep Huntleigh’s letters, makes her a more authentic woman than Stella, who is described by Williams as the “gentle, mild and contented one”. Blanche’s loss of identity, dominated by her homosexual husband’s suicide, exacerbates her solitude – “The boy-the boy died. (She sinks back down) I’m afraid I’m – going to be sick!” The fragmented, repetitive speech Blanche uses illustrates her guilt and pain, whilst the physical act of “sinking” highlights the extent of her regret, giving a sense of foreboding for her downfall. Her guilt is also exacerbated by the implied physical act at the end which shocks the contemporary audience, who would not sympathise with homosexuals, evoking pity and reinforcing that “Streetcar” is a tragedy for Blanche.

The protagonist fears, she may be forced to socialise with the inmates ‘smelling of pee’. Additionally expressing her feelings and obsession concerning hygiene. Unearthing Doris‘s neglected period of life, the saddest era of her being. In which recollections of Doris’s past history are triggered by present day objects such as; the wedding photograph of Doris and Wilfred represented to be a strong symbol, of the implication, in which Doris’s endless campaign against dust, has cause the glass to crack. Representing the destructive nature of Doris’s cleaning mania, and the separation of herself and Wilfred. Doris initial reminisces of the past, begin with thoughts like many of the elderly, of the golden days through coloured spectacles, in which the protagonist ruefully looks back upon the era where ‘people were clean and the streets were clean and it was all clean.’ The present for Doris lacks what she values and sees as important, and does not at all appreciate what the present has to offer – that is, a home- help; Zulema, and the prospect of care in an old people’s home. Doris perceives these interferences within her strictly controlled life as an adversary to challenge – if possible – demolish the remaining control the protagonist withholds within her life.

The writer Alan Bennett , reveals allot about old aged pensioners through Doris, She portrays the typical old lady, who uses speech that we wouldn’t normally use in this day and age. Many old people have petty concerns that they obsess over; Doris’s petty concerns are cleanliness and hygiene which in most ways makes the audience laugh throughout the play.

How does Alan Bennett reveal Doris’ character, life and attitude in the dramatic monologue “a cream cracker under the settee”?

Blanche is an aging single Southern woman whose best days are in the past.  Blanche has not been able to make the adjustment from when she was the belle of the county at Belle Reeve, her family's southern home, to the harsh realities of her present situation, one in which she has always "depended on the kindness of strangers" (142).  All of her attempts at living in reality involve her trying to keep up appearances to match

Women during these time periods, despite their desire for equality, were still expected to stay in their “lane.” Blanche, upon arriving, veers sharply away from that lane, and it is Stanley who fights to put her back in her place. During “Poker Night” Blanche is a nuisance to Stanley. She plays the radio, takes a shower, and even steals Mitch from the game. In this instance Blanche breaks away from her prescribed gender role of subservience and disrupts “the man’s world.” However, this is instance of independence is nullified moments later. As she conversates with Mitch she once again shows her dependence on men. “Blanche waltzes to the music with romantic gestures. Mitch is delighted and moves in awkward imitation like a dancing bear” (2321). Blanche oversexualizes herself in an effort to gain his approval and boost her self-esteem.

This play is about Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main themes of the drama concern her directly. In Blanche is seen the tragedy of an individual caught between two worlds-the past world of the Southern gentlewoman and the present world of crudeness and decay-unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with

This section (Scene 5, from“[She rushes into the bedroom…” to “Ahhh! Merciiii!”) of the play portrays a contrasting view on gender roles and emphasises Blanche’s need for attention and company. During this section, it is shown how Blanche uses gender stereotypes to become an ‘ideal woman’ and attempt to grasp the attention of a young man.

One of the play’s main characters, Blanche, has by no means had an easy adulthood. She has had to deal with her sister setting off to New Orleans with her new husband, the death of her father, losing her own husband, and the loss of their family’s beloved plantation, Belle Reve. With all of this going on, Blanche disguises her pain and delusion, and pretends that is does not exist. In a way,

The Play is focused on a woman called Doris. She is in late adulthood, widowed and lives by herself. Doris has no family or friends, she has been given a cleaner called Zulema by the council. Zulema comes once a week to clean Doris’ house. Doris was once married to a man called Wilfred but he died, she often talks to him or at least, his photo, and about him. In my personal opinion, I think Doris finds it easier to talk to Wilfred now he’s gone: as they had

In New York, Fanny Brice, a young Jew from the Lower East Side, dreams of becoming a Broadway star, despite her ugly appearance. When she loses her chorus line job at Keeney's Oriental Palace, she enters a roller skating number and is a comedy hit. After the performance,a gambler visits her backstage and helps get her a raise. Soon Fanny's comedy routines come to the attention of Florenz Ziegfeld, and she is hired for his Follies at the New Amsterdam

Blanche establishes her façade as a prim, nice upstanding, young lady as a means to escape true identity because she cares about what others think of her. When she goes on her date with Mitch, she blames her behavior on “the law of nature” which “says the lady must entertain the gentleman” (101). By blaming her actions on a law, she denies any personal responsibility for them. Therefore, if Mitch didn’t like her actions, the fault wouldn’t fall on her, but on the “law of nature.” She later tells him that she doesn’t him “to think that [she is] severe and old maid school teacherish” (108). The words “severe” and “old maid” have negative connotations associated with them, which she attempts to disassociate herself from. Subsequently, when Mitch

A beautiful France city at a time where summer is fading into fall and couples and families fill the parks. At first glance it seems to be a joyful place to be with a band that plays to atmosphere and children and couples roaming about. Yet there’s something off about the scene, the way the elders are described by Miss Brill puts an off-putting tune into the atmosphere. Where they had the oddest description of being “odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they’d just come from dark little rooms” (260). Why are the elders the only ones placed into this off-putting light? In this time where the elderly stigmatized and pushed to the side to be out of everyone’s way? It would make sense based off Miss Brill’s description of them. This could explain the social dissociation Miss Brill experiences. The elderly are indisputably being neglected, especially notable “the old invalid gentleman… she read the newspaper” (261) to. Where is his family at? Why is a complete stranger, an elderly one at that, reading to him? If Miss Brill believes that he could be dead, and she’d never know, he cannot be doing well and must be on his last leg of his life. But apparently no family is there for him at the end of his life, only the cruel hands of society embraces him. And if this is what the treatment of all the elderly people is like during this time then it is no wonder Miss Brill developed a social dissociation it was her only salvation from the cold hands of society and the loneliness that threatens to suffocate her. However, there is no escaping from the truths of reality and a young couple’s teasing comments to each other harshly reminds her of this

The plot revolves around Blanche, who is divided between the desire of being a young beautiful lady who is concerned with old fashioned southern ways and a bohemian and excessive in her appetites. Blanche has taken a leave of absence from her English teaching position because of her nerves. After the loss of her family home she went to live with her sister Stella who has rejected her refined southern heritage and prefer to live in a low class position with her husband Stanly who offer her a life of senses (Abboston