What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? : BLANCHE didn't have to starve

It's funny that she went HUNGRY, because on the tray's that had the dead BIRD and RAT, I swore I saw BREAD, MILK, MUFFINS, etc. on the side of the main course. Why didn't she at least eat those things?

---

It's funny that she went HUNGRY, because on the tray's that had the dead BIRD and RAT, I swore I saw BREAD, MILK, MUFFINS, etc. on the side of the main course. Why didn't she at least eat those things?

---

We're supposed to understand that Blanche was so turned off and disgusted by the dead animals, that she couldn't bring herself to touch anything else on the tray.

And, what if the other food had been tampered with in some way? (Jane was really crazy.)

It would depend on the individual; some people would get hungry enough to try some of the other food. Some people couldn't bring themselves to do it.

The way it was written is the way it played out.

Yeah I guess you're making some good points, I didn't think the other food could be poisoned too.

Hmm, I wonder. I don't think Jane would be so obvious as to poison Blanche's food. She really didn't want to kill her, per se, but torment herand it got a little out of hand. Why go through all the trouble of preparing that delicious parakeet (with a refreshing dollop of cottage cheese on its tail) or the succulent rat, lying on a bed of tomatoes? It was for the shock value. That's where the fun comes in. It wouldn't have been any fun for Jane just to poison Blanche.

So, given that, yes, it's indeed a suspension of disbelief that she couldn't have eaten the toast and muffins or downed the milk. I thought that myself the first time I saw it. Just like I could never figure out why Blanche just didn't scream bloody murder out that window, or throw something through the glass that would smash on the driveway below. That would've gotten Mrs. Bates attention. Blanche was WAYYY too passive-aggressive!

Jane's plan was to make Blanche afraid to eat anything.

When Blanche left a tray untouched, Jane came in and ate off the tray, saying, "See, there's nothing wrong with it."

Then, she withheld the tray from Blanche, as punishment for not eating her "din din."

Actually, I remember from the book that Blanche was thinking things about the food, afraid to eat itwondering if she put ground glass in the salt, things like this. Jane was mind phuquing her into not eating so she could say, "oh, she just stopped eating."

---

Swing away, Merrill.Merrill, swing away

---

I was also thinking, since BLANCHE and the HOUSEKEEPER got along very well, when she did her weekly grocery shopping, she could've got her some snacks like CHIPS, CAKES, COOKIES, etc. and hid them in a secret place for Blanche. But then I thought, JANE was so PARANOID and SUSPICIOUS of both of them, she would've found the stuff and trashed it.

^

DON'TYOUTHINKSHEKNOWSEVERYTHINGTHATGOESONINTHATHOUSE????

---

Swing away, Merrill.Merrill, swing away

---

UhI have to say that I probably wouldn't be too keen on eating anything on that tray if a dead animal were on the main dish. Who the hell knows what she has done to the rest of the food, is what I would be thinking. I would be too scared to even remove the kid ever again on future meals.


"Why couldn't the monkey arrange this from INSIDE the garbage can?"

Probably because Blanche was just as crazy as Jane?

---

Probably because Blanche was just as crazy as Jane?

---

She was crazy to be suspicious of the food ???

She had good reason.

No, she was crazy because of her childhood experiences, just like Jane eas.

---

No, she was crazy because of her childhood experiences, just like Jane eas.

---

I'll regret asking this, but whether Blanche was crazy or sane, WHAT does that have to do with being suspicious of the food after having been served rat and parakeet by Jane? Her suspicions were justified.

You're entitled to believe Blanche was crazy, but that is totally irrelevant to the subject of this thread.

Justifiable or not, Blanche is still crazy with hate and jealousy towards Jane. That results in paranoia. She views Jane as out to get her. The dead bird and rat only compound Blanche's paranoia, and ensure that she won't look at whether or not the rest of the food is edible once she gets over the initial shock. A person not obssessed like Blanche would realize that they must eat in order to stay alive. They have no alternative but to risk non-contamination of the rest of the food.

---

The dead bird and rat only compound Blanche's paranoia, and ensure that she won't look at whether or not the rest of the food is edible once she gets over the initial shock.

---

I disagree with your premise that Blanche's sanity had anything to do with her not wanting to eat. Jane's goal was to frighten Blanche into not eating, and she succeeded.

---

A person not obsessed like Blanche would realize that they must eat in order to stay alive. They have no alternative but to risk non-contamination of the rest of the food.

---

Words are easy, until you are in such a situation, and of course, everyone is different. I think Blanche's fear of touching the food is perfectly reasonable, but I'll give you that someone else might try the food.

For the purpose of the narrative, Blanche's fear makes sense. Nothing to do with her being "crazy" whether she was or not.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. Humans have a natural instinct to survive. Blanche's crazy obsession concerning Jane overrides her natural instinct. Jane knows Blanche and her obsession, and uses it to her own advantage.

---

Blanche's crazy obsession concerning Jane overrides her natural instinct. Jane knows Blanche and her obsession, and uses it to her own advantage.

---

Now that you put it that way, I see your point; I see how it fits into Jane's manipulation.

However, I don't think the audience was supposed to be aware of that and see Blanche as disturbed.

On the surface, she was the calm, sane, "normal" one, while Jane was "twisted." It wasn't until the big reveal at the end, that we realize that Blanche was as big a monster as Jane if not the bigger monster.

That's what makes this such a great film. There are real layers and depth to these characters beyond the camp horror.

She thought it possible that Jane could have poisoned the food