A Streetcar Named Desire: Telephone interview conversation between Stella Kowlaski and Psychiatrist

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Phone Interview between Stella and Doctor: A Street Named Desire
A Street Named Desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams in 1947. Known for his controversial topics, the timing of the play says a lot about why the ply was shocking to people. During this period, musical comedies and lighthearted productions were the major sources of entertainment- controversial topics such as violence, sexual encounters, and profanities were deemed not fit for the society at the time. However, the play by Williams broke all these borders to be considered one of the most controversial plays of the time. Essentially, the play centers on Blanche, a schoolteacher whose life revolves around controversy. She arrives in New Orleans to live with her sister, Stella, and brother-in-law, Stanley. All the drama happens in the small apartment where the three characters live. The ending of the play sees Blanche taken to a mental institution because of Stella’s suspicions of illusion and insanity. Stella decides to call the doctor after Blanche accuses Stanley of raping her, an accusation Stella does not take lightly. Regarding this scene, the paper presents an interview between Stella and the doctor where Stella explains why Blanche needs psychiatric help.
(Devastated, Stella picks up the phone and calls the state institution)
STELLA: Hello! Can I speak to the Doctor in charge, please?
RECEPTIONIST: Yes, please. Kindly hold as I connect you to the doctor.

(Stella waits for two minutes before being connected to the doctor)
DOCTOR: Hello! Who am I speaking to, please?
STELLA: Hello! My name is Stella. I am calling to inquire about the psychiatric services you offer in your institution. I suspect my sister might be having a mental breakdown and would like to know if your institution can help her get better.
DOCTOR: Yes, madam. We offer psychiatric services to patients with mental problems. Why do you suspect she has a mental problem?
STELLA: First of all, she has made very questionable decisions in her past life. When she was a teacher, she got fired from her job because of having sexual relations with one of her students (William 81). After that, she had sexual relations with multiple people, especially after the death of her husband. Her past behaviors suggest a person with the emotional problem and someone who is psychologically disturbed. I would say the death of her husband and other members of her family may have contributed to her emotional insecurities making her resort to giving in to advances by other people as a form of consolation. Second, the most recent event is the main reason I have decided to call your institution. We have been living together in the same apartment with my husband, Stanley. Recently, Blanche made accusations that my husband tried to rape her. Knowing the kind of relationship, they have had with Stanley over the period of her stay, I do not think this kind of situation is possible. Stanley is a not fond of Blanche and even knows the kind of life she lived before she moved in with us. He has been advocating for her to leave and go somewhere else away from my family – he even gave her a bus ticket as her birthday present. Based on this kind of relationship, I believe there is no affection or sexual attraction between Stanley and Blanche. Therefore, the accusations made by Blanche have no basis at all. However, I think she has been delusional the last few weeks. From having an imaginary suitor who she believes will marry to accusing Stanley of trying to rape her, I think she has a mental problem. I hope your institution can help. I just need to know the procedures and logistics involved.
DOCTOR: I am sorry to hear about the situation with your sister, Stella. I believe if it is a mental problem we will be able to help. You have called the right institution.
However, the first thing we need to do is ascertain whether this is a mental problem or she is just under stress. On this note, my nurse will accompany me to your apartment, assess her situation and decide if she needs psychiatric help or not.
STELLA: That would be kind of you. I will give you the address of our apartment after the call. However, I would like to understand the procedures involved in this process. I want to be sure my sister will receive the most effective services and the help she needs.
DOCTOR: I appreciate your concern. But, you do not have to worry about her safety and the quality of services. We are professionals and act with a high level of professionalism when carrying out our duties. The first step is to come to you and assess the situation. We can come and accompany Blanche to our institution, carry out examinations on her to ascertain if it is an emergency situation or not- the assessment will be done by our emergency physician. After that, the emergency physician will refer her to one of our best physicians with details of her condition. The physician will also perform their assessment including her history, her mental status, family history, collateral history from the other physicians who have helped her before, any information from the police, counselors, and family members, and also a physical examination. All these processes will be important to ascertain the kind of services she will require. After all these, we will proceed with medication, and I assure you she will be in good hands.
STELLA: That is okay. Is there anything you want to know apart from the details I have provided you?
DOCTOR: Definitely. You have given us a good history of the patient. Is there any other family member other than you? Has she been involved in any trouble with the police or been admitted to any mental institution?
STELLA: From what I know, she has struggled a lot in her past. I cannot say anything about being in an encounter with the police, but she has had troubles before with her former boss while she was a teacher. She was accused of having sexual relations with her students, allegations that led to her being fired. Also, my husband tells me she has had a rocky past with most of it entailing having sexual relations with numerous people. I believe this sort of behavior can make you figure out if it is a mental problem or just normal stress.
DOCTOR: Indeed! We will need the best possible information about her to fully assess and understand her situation before giving her any medication. We will come to you and help you take care of this situation.
STELLA: Thank you so much for your time. I will highly appreciate your help. I will send you my address.
DOCTOR: You are welcome. We are glad to be in a position to help. We will be there as soon as we can.
(Stella ends the call and starts packing Blanche’s clothes as she prepares to take a shower)
Work Cited
William, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. Theatre Annual 7, 1947. Print