You should be able to comment on how and why characters report off-stage action.

Stanley tells Stella what he has learnt from his supply-man: ‘She is as   in Laurel as if she was the   of the United States’ (Scene Seven, p. 70).

Ask yourself: What is the dramatic effect of having this information about Blanche reported by Stanley?

Possible answer: Stanley’s report gives us a sense of a world inhabited by Blanche outside of the apartment. It also conveys the power of rumour, leaving us uncertain of how true the report is. In addition, it allows for the dramatic tension of Stanley’s determination to convince Stella, and her reluctance to believe him.