A few weeks later, Stanley comes home to find that Blanche is soaking in a hot tub, even though it is blistering hot outside. It is Blanche’s birthday and Stella has prepared a small party. Stanley makes Stella stop working and listen to him. He has found out something about Blanche. While Blanche is singing “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Stanley reveals that Blanche has a notorious reputation in Laurel. She was so wild that the low-class Flamingo Hotel asked her to move out. The army camp close by referred to Blanche as “out-of-bounds” and she was kicked out of her job for being mixed up with a seventeen-year-old boy. Blanche interrupts the conversation by calling for a towel. She notices a strange expression on Stella’s face, but Stella assures her that all is well. Stella returns to Stanley and tries to explain that Blanche’s early life was fraught with tragedy due to the young boy she had married and that Blanche was never able to recover completely. Stanley isn’t interested in such “old history”; he is concerned only with the present.
When Stanley notices the birthday cake, he wonders if company is expected. Stella tells him that Mitch is invited over. Stanley explains that Mitch won’t be there tonight because Mitch is an old friend of his and he had to tell Mitch everything that he had found out about Blanche. Stella is shocked and cries out that Blanche thought Mitch was going to marry her. Stanley corrects her by informing her that Mitch is not necessarily through with Blanche but he certainly isn’t going to marry her. He also says that he has bought Blanche a bus ticket for next Tuesday and that she has to leave them. Stella protests, but Stanley is firm. He thinks that Blanche’s future is “mapped out for her.” He then screams for Blanche to come out of the bathroom so he can get in. When Blanche emerges, she notices that something has happened and is frightened.
