Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

Mitch starts off as just one of Stanley’s friends and we are introduced to him near the end of scene one when Stanley and his friends are all playing poker. Right away the audience can tell that Mitch is different from Stanley’s other friends and is noticeably more sensitive than them as he repeatedly discusses his dying mother and how he must get back to her. All of the other men seem to look at him as a “Mama’s boy” and often pick on him because of it, especially Stanley.

Mitch: I oughta go home pretty soon…I gotta sick mother. She don’t sleep until I come in at night…You all are married. But I’ll be alone when she goes. – I’m going to the bathroom.

Stanley: Hurry back and we’ll fix you a sugar-tit.

(*Note: a sugar-tit is a pacifier)

In scene two, after Stella introduces Mitch to Blanche, Blanche quickly observes the difference between Mitch and the other men when he presents his gentlemanly behavior as he expresses courtesy to her and Stella. “That one seems-superior to the others. I thought he had a sort of sensitive look.”

Mitch appears to be a kind decent human being who hopes to marry so that he will have a woman to bring home to his dying mother. Although he is sensitive, Blanche plays with his lack of intelligence. For example when she teases him in French by asking him if he will sleep with her tonight because she knows he won’t understand. Although they come from totally different worlds, Mitch and Blanche are attracted to each other by their need of companionship and support, seeing that they have both experienced the death of a loved one, and because of this they believe they are right for each other. At the end of Scene six, Mitch says, “You need somebody. And I need somebody, too. Could it be – you and me, Blanche?”

Throughout the play, Blanche repeatedly rejects Mitch’s physical affections as she tries to hide her disgusting sexual past.

Blanche: I said unhand me, sir. (He fumblingly embraces her. Her voice sounds gently reproving) Now, Mitch. Just because Stanley and Stella aren’t at home is no reason why you shouldn’t behave like a gentleman.

Mitch: Just give me a slap whenever I step out of bounds.

However, once he discovers the truth about Blanche’s past, Mitch is both angry and embarrassed about the way Blanche has treated him. When he and Blanche talk after he has found out the truth, Mitch states that he feels he deserves to have sex with her, even though he no longer respects her enough to think her fit to be his wife.

Blanche: What do you want?

Mitch (fumbling to embrace her): What I been missing all summer.

However, when Blanche cries out in protest, Mitch does not rape her like Stanley did and instead just leaves, which illustrates his gentlemanliness.

In the end of the play as Blanche is taken away by the doctor and nurse, Mitch tries to stop them and sheds many tears as Blanche struggles.

While Stella and Eunice are speaking on the porch the voices of the men in the kitchen overlap them. Mitch has started toward the bedroom. Stanley crosses to block him. Stanley pushes him aside. Mitch lunges and strikes at Stanley. Stanley pushes Mitch back. Mitch collapses at the table, sobbing.

This illustrates that Mitch is the only person other than Stella who seems to understand the tragedy of Blanche’s madness.