"The Glass Menagerie" is a play written by Tennessee Williams so, first of all, let me give you some introduction of the writer.

About the Author

Tennessee Williams was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi. His childhood in Mississippi was pleasant and happy, but when his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri his life changed. In 1929, he enrolled at the University of Missouri to study journalism. The family situation, however, did offer him some ideas to write about. His mother became the model for the foolish, but strong Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, while his father represented the aggressive, driving Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Many of his plays have been adapted to film starring screen greats like Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. He died in 1983.

About the play

Some critics consider this play "The Glass Menagerie" as an autobiography of Williams. There are three main characters in the play, Tom, who is also the narrator, his sister Laura, who is kind of an introvert and her thinking can be related to Williams himself as it reflects his own personality, and there is a mother figure, Amanda, who is a typical mother, concerned for the future of their kids and wanted them to settle as soon as possible, she is concerned for the marriage of Laura and the American Society of that time. This play is a melancholy drama for the whole family and the interesting thing is that the whole is performed in a meager apartment of Wingfield which also describes the shortage of space and how they are living in a small space.

Laura is a shy girl and has no ambition. Amanda, her mother tries to boost her up and she even took admission in typing classes for her. But Laura was too shy to go there and she used to bunk those classes by roaming in the park or watching movies, etc. She was only interested in the tiny animals, her "glass menagerie".

Tom, the narrator of the play also the brother of Laura. He feels like a jail in the house. Initially, he hated the idea to find someone suitable for Laura but later he himself announced on the eve that a gentleman is coming for dinner.

After the announcement Amanda becomes happy and she dresses perfectly because she thinks that it's her duty to look beautiful. On the other hand, Laura was nervous and maybe we can interpret that she doesn't even want to meet anyone.

It was Jim O’Connor, who went to high school together with Laura and Tom. At that time, Laura was in love with him. Laura was so nervous, she doesn't even want to open the door, but when she did, she was amused by the fact that Jim gives her a hint of remembrance.

In the end, Tom again becomes the narrator and he tells us that later he left the house the same as his father does. And on the other hand, Laura is always in his thoughts. The ending lines say: “Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! I reach for a cigarette, I cross the street, I ran into the movies or a bar, I buy a drink, I speak to the nearest stranger—anything that can blow your candles out! For nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura – and so good-bye…”

The house in the whole play can be interpreted as a prison for both Laura and Amanda as they can't leave it. Williams has accurately described the American dream as Amanda's dream cannot be completed. She loses hope for the future as her husband leaves him and now her son also.

The two women in the play are totally different from each other as Amanda is an extrovert and Laura is an introvert. Amanda, who never gets old by remembering her youth days and telling her kids about the incident of seventeen gentlemen callers. She looks at the society with her youthful eyes and on the other side, there is Laura, who has no ambitions and no hope for the future.

By concluding, I think that Tennessee Williams has described the society appropriately. It also indicates that wealth and success are just complementary sources of true happiness, but never the real reasons for it. If the parents support their children's interest, then they can do wonders and if parents go against their wishes, more problems will be created. Happy relationships can only exist when there is mutual understanding and have the support of each other. Then only there will be less problem.

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Profile of Riti
Riti  •  4y  •  Reply
Thanks Anindita❤️
Profile of Anindita
Anindita  •  4y  •  Reply
One of my favourite plays.. well written!😊