You need to be able to comment on how descriptive language in stage directions can convey a character’s mood.

‘Lurid reflections appear on the   around BLANCHE. The shadows are of a   and menacing form’

(Scene Ten, p. 94).

Ask yourself: How does this convey Blanche’s mood in this scene?

Possible answer: The word ‘lurid’ refers to harsh, glaring and unnatural light. It suggests melodrama, but also mental disturbance. The adjectives describing the shadows imply that Blanche is in a fragile emotional state and feels threatened by Stanley. She perceives her surroundings as hellish.