The play concludes with Tom saying that he left home soon afterward and never returned. He then bids farewell to his mother and sister and asks Laura to blow out the candles. Original Broadway cast Anthony Ross, Laurette Taylor, Eddie Dowling and Julie Haydon in the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mother, and his mentally fragile sister …
What is the plot of the Glass Menagerie?
Plot Overview. The Glass Menagerie is a memory play, and its action is drawn from the memories of the narrator, Tom Wingfield. Tom is a character in the play, which is set in St. Louis in 1937. He is an aspiring poet who toils in a shoe warehouse to support his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura.
What is Tom Wingfield's job in the Glass Menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie is a memory play, and its action is drawn from the memories of the narrator, Tom Wingfield. Tom is a character in the play, which is set in St. Louis in 1937. He is an aspiring poet who toils in a shoe warehouse to support his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura.
How does Jim describe Laura in the Glass Menagerie?
Jim’s recollection of Laura is very different from her version of herself: though she remembers dragging her leg as though in the spotlight, all eyes on her, Jim claims not to recall her slow marches up the aisle of the choir room. Get the entire The Glass Menagerie LitChart as a printable PDF.
What is Jim's job in the Glass Menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie. An old high school acquaintance of Tom and Laura. Jim was a popular athlete and actor during his days at Soldan High School. Subsequent years have been less kind to Jim; however, and by the time of the play's action, he is working as a shipping clerk at the same shoe warehouse as Tom.
What does Laura tell Jim about her glass collection?
What does Jim give Laura in the living room?
What does Jim notice about the unicorn?
What does Laura remember about Jim?
What does Jim tell Laura about Laura?
See more
About this website
What happens to Laura at the end of The Glass Menagerie?
Laura's act of blowing out the candles at the play's end signifies the snuffing of her hopes, but it may also mark Tom's long-awaited release from her grip. He exhorts Laura to blow out her candles and then bids her what sounds like a final goodbye.
Does The Glass Menagerie have a happy ending?
And in a welcome departure from most Tennessee Williams plays, there's a happy ending: Laura—left alone at the end of The Glass Menagerie—runs off with the gentleman caller at the close of The Pretty Trap.
What is the conclusion of The Glass Menagerie?
In the end, he has no more motivation than Laura does to pursue professional success, romantic relationships, or even ordinary friendships, and he decides to leave his home and family for what he thinks is true “escape.” Tom never really does escape from his mother and sister as he is always thinking of them no matter ...
Does Laura end up with Jim in The Glass Menagerie?
2020. "The Glass Menagerie: How Laura's Relationship with Jim Changed the Tone of the Play." July 7, 2020....Works Cited.The Glass MenagerieEndJim, after kissing Laura, must explain that he is already engaged and must go. Some years later Tom is thinking about his sister Laura whom he will never forget19 more rows•Jul 7, 2020
What does Tom reveal in his final speech in The Glass Menagerie?
He tells us that his departure marked the last time he "descended the steps of this fire-escape", thus permanently embarking on his journey of solitude into what was once only a part of his dream world.
Why did Tom return in The Glass Menagerie?
But when he was in a long distance from his house he was pulled back from the path of adventure by his real love for his mother and daughter. Tom's return to his house on the strength of love offers lots of social implications. His return to his house is a return to the socially established norms and values.
What is the main message of The Glass Menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie identifies the conquest of reality by illusion as a huge and growing aspect of the human condition in its time.
What is the moral of The Glass Menagerie?
In reading Tennessee Williams' "memory play" The Glass Menagerie, students examine thematic topics such as individual freedom, obligation, reality and escape.
Why is Laura the tragic hero in The Glass Menagerie?
The tragic hero of this story is Laura Wingfield, Tom's sister. The physically and emotionally crippled girl is the only character that never does anything to hurt anyone and tries so hard to please everyone. Her shyness is her fatal and in the end will be the cause of her demise.
Who breaks Laura's glass unicorn?
JimThis exchange, also from Scene Seven, occurs not long after the previous one. After persuading Laura to dance with him, Jim accidentally bumps the table on which the glass unicorn rests, breaking the horn off of the figurine.
What is Tom's secret Jim?
Tom explains to Jim that she is extremely shy, and Jim remarks, “It's unusual to meet a shy girls nowadays.” Jim and Tom talk while the women are elsewhere.
Did Tennessee Williams get married?
They never divorced. In 1936, Williams enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis where he wrote the play Me, Vashya (1937). After not winning the school's poetry prize, he decided to drop out.
What is Toms illusion in The Glass Menagerie?
Tom dreams about escape from his present life. He writes poetry in the warehouse, discusses joining the merchant marines, and escapes into action-adventure movies. He comments to Jim, at one point, that all of the people at the movies are there to escape into illusion and avoid real life.
What is the plot of The Glass Menagerie?
A childhood illness has left her with a limp, and she has a mental fragility and an inferiority complex that has isolated her from the outside world. She has created a world of her own symbolized by her collection of glass figurines.
The Glass Menagerie Scene 7 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts
The glass unicorn, Laura’s favorite figurine, is much like Laura herself: beautiful, unique, and extinct in the modern world. The unicorn’s movement to the table, away from the rest of the animals, mirrors the change of scenery that Jim’s presence provides for Laura.
The Glass Menagerie Scene 7 Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver
The Glass Menagerie study guide contains a biography of Tennessee Williams, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
The Glass Menagerie Scene 6 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts
In preparation for the gentleman caller, Amanda has transformed the apartment with lampshades and curtains. She dresses Laura, who is visibly nervous, in a soft, pretty dress, and stuffs “Gay Deceivers” in Laura’s bosom, laughing away Laura’s objections with the claim that girls must be a “pretty trap” for men.Amanda leaves to change and sweeps back into the room in a frilly dress ...
Tennessee Williams – The Glass Menagerie (Scene 7) | Genius
A SOUVENIR / Half an hour later. Dinner is just being finished in the upstage area which is concealed by the drawn portières. / JIM: Hey, there, Mr Light Bulb ! / [AMANDA laughs
The Glass Menagerie Scene Six Summary & Analysis | SparkNotes
A summary of Part X (Section5) in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Glass Menagerie and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The final scene depicts Laura as "she blows the candle out." What does ...
In the final scene of "The Glass Menagerie", Tom's monologue syncronizes directorily with Laura blowing out the candles of the candelabra. It was the candelabra that Amanda had given Jim (the ...
What does Laura tell Jim about her glass collection?
In response to his question about what she has done since high school, Laura starts to tell Jim about her glass collection. He abruptly declares that she has an inferiority complex and that she “low-rates” herself. He says that he also suffered from this condition after his post–high school disappointment. He launches into his vision of his own future in television production. Laura listens attentively. He asks her about herself again, and she describes her collection of glass animals. She shows him her favorite: a unicorn. He points out lightly that unicorns are “extinct” in modern times.
What does Jim give Laura in the living room?
In the living room, Jim takes a seat on the floor and persuades Laura to join him. He gives her a glass of wine. Tongue-tied at first, Laura soon relaxes in Jim’s engaging presence. He talks to her about the Century of Progress exhibition in Chicago and calls her an “old-fashioned” girl.
What does Jim notice about the unicorn?
Jim notices the music coming from the dance hall across the alley. Despite Laura’s initial protests, he leads her in a clumsy waltz around the room. Jim bumps into the table where the unicorn is resting, the unicorn falls, and its horn breaks off.
What does Laura remember about Jim?
They reminisce about high school and Jim’s glories. Laura also remembers the discomfort and embarrassment she felt over the brace on her leg.
What does Jim tell Laura about Laura?
Jim tells her that she was far too self-conscious and that everybody has problems. Laura persuades him to sign a program from a play he performed in during high school, which she has kept, and works up the nerve to ask him about the girl to whom he was supposedly engaged.
When will the Glass Menagerie return?
In October 2016, it was announced that The Glass Menagerie would be returning to the West End, opening in February 2017 at the Duke of York's Theatre.
What is the setting of the Glass Menagerie?
Genre. Memory play. Setting. A St. Louis apartment, late 1930s. The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mother, and his mentally fragile sister Laura.
How many movies have been made of The Glass Menagerie?
Two Hollywood film versions of The Glass Menagerie have been produced.
What does Jim do to Laura?
As the evening progresses, Jim recognizes Laura's feelings of inferiority and encourages her to think better of herself. He and Laura share a quiet dance, in which he accidentally brushes against her glass menagerie, knocking a glass unicorn to the floor and breaking off its horn.
Why did Williams give half of the royalties from the play Summer and Smoke?
He later designated half of the royalties from his play Summer and Smoke to provide for Rose's care, arranging for her move from the state hospital to a private sanitarium.
Where did the Glass Menagerie play premiere?
The play premiered in Chicago in 1944. After a shaky start, it was championed by Chicago critics Ashton Stevens and Claudia Cassidy, whose enthusiasm helped build audiences so the producers could move the play to Broadway where it won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award in 1945. The Glass Menagerie was Williams' first successful play; he went on to become one of America's most highly regarded playwrights.
Who were the original cast members of The Glass Menagerie?
Original Broadway cast. Anthony Ross, Laurette Taylor, Eddie Dowling and Julie Haydon in the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie (1945) The Glass Menagerie opened on Broadway in the Playhouse Theatre on March 31, 1945, and played there until June 29, 1946.
What happens when Tom finishes speaking in the play?
When Tom has finished speaking, Laura blows the candles out, ending the play. Analysis. Although a great deal depends on the actor's interpretation, Jim's enthusiasm is selfish and empty-headed. He shamelessly leads Laura on, not maliciously but also without any careful consideration.
What does Laura say to Jim about the glass unicorn?
Laura shows Jim her glass collection. They look closely at a little glass unicorn, remarking on how the unicorn must feel odd due to its uniqueness. They put the unicorn down on a different table, for "a change of scenery.". Laura bashfully admires Jim, while Jim grows increasingly flirtatious.
What was the Wingfield apartment?
For a brief moment, the Wingfield apartment was a place of dreams. Amanda experienced a return to her girlhood, Laura showed her long lost love her precious glass menagerie, and the place was full of the music from Paradise Dance Hall.
What is the glass unicorn in the movie?
The glass unicorn, of course, is a clear symbol for Laura. She, like the unicorn, is odd and unique. Both Laura and the unicorn are fragile -and Jim "breaks" both of them. Laura's subsequent gift of the broken unicorn, however, suggests the extent of her affection for him. For Jim, the evening has been insignificant.
What is the fourth wall in Tom and Laura?
Tom's closing speech, of course, is a peerless and infamous moment. The descending fourth wall puts a powerful but permeable barrier between Tom and his family.
What does Jim say to Laura?
Jim speaks admiringly of Laura's character, and then begins to praise her looks. He tells her that she is pretty, and Laura blushes with shy bliss over this unexpected praise. Then, suddenly, Jim kisses her. Immediately, he seems to regret the kiss.
What does Laura remind Jim of Laura?
She reminds him that they knew each other in high school, and that he used to call her "Blue Roses.". Jim feels ashamed that he did not recognize her at once. They reminisce about the class they had together, a singing class to which Laura, because of her leg, was always late.
Why do the lights go out in the end of the book?
As dinner is ending, the lights go out as a consequence of the unpaid electric bill. The characters light candles, and Amanda encourages Jim to entertain Laura in the living room while she and Tom clean up. Laura is at first paralyzed by Jim’s presence, but his warm and open behavior soon draws her out of her shell.
Why does Jim leave Amanda?
Amanda enters the living room, full of good cheer. Jim hastily explains that he must leave because of an appointment with his fiancée . Amanda sees him off warmly but, after he is gone, turns on Tom, who had not known that Jim was engaged. Amanda accuses Tom of being an inattentive, selfish dreamer and then throws herself into comforting Laura. From the fire escape outside of their apartment, Tom watches the two women and explains that, not long after Jim’s visit, he gets fired from his job and leaves Amanda and Laura behind. Years later, though he travels far, he finds that he is unable to leave behind guilty memories of Laura.
What Does The Ending Of The Glass Menagerie Mean?
Tom’s violent action shatters some of Laura’s glass at the end of the scene. Laura’s inner feelings are symbolically represented by Tom’s inability to utter a word when he returns to pick up the glass. Laura’s shattered inner feelings are represented by the shattered glass.
How Is Deception Used In The Glass Menagerie?
Amanda retreats from reality by denying it and deluding herself that it is true. Her refusal to see that her daughter is crippled or that her son is a writer who likes to drink is raising the notion that parents are more concerned with the good qualities in their children than with their physical abilities.
How Are Illusion And Reality Presented In The Glass Menagerie?
In The Glass Menagerie, the theme of illusion and reality are at odds. There is no live character in the play, but there is Amanda Wingfield, who is one of its main characters. Amanda has refused to let go of her past and accept reality, which is a clear indication of her refusal. As an example, here is an example of an illusion.
How Does The Glass Menagerie Symbolize Laura’s Escape From Reality?
The two escape reality by retreating into dream worlds. The freedom to walk through the park, the memories Laura can control and keep perfect, the glass menagerie, are all things Laura escapes from reality.
What Are The Major Themes In The Glass Menagerie?
Tom announces in his monologue that the play is memory. The play is Tom’s memory of the past, and all of the action takes place in his head as he recounts it.
What Is Amanda’s Problem In The Glass Menagerie?
The problem for Amanda was that she was unable to change, let go of the past, and move forward.
What Is The Theme In The Glass?
The play operates in two ways: from the real world into the world of memory and dreams, as Amanda and Laura demonstrate; or from the real world into the world of memory and dreams, as Tom desires.
What does Jim ask Laura about her glass collection?
Jim asks Laura what she has done since high school, and she starts to explain that her glass collection takes up much of her time. Jim launches into a long speech about inferiority complexes. He tells Laura that she lacks confidence and that all she needs to overcome her shyness is to think of herself as superior. He announces his goal of becoming a television producer.
What does Laura tell Jim about her glass animals?
She hands him the unicorn, her favorite, to hold. He says, lightly, that since unicorns are extinct in the modern world he must be lonesome. Jim puts the unicorn on the table, as Laura directs him to do, away from the rest of the collection.
What does Jim tell Laura about Betty?
When Jim tells Laura about Betty, Laura ’s dream shatters like the glass horn. The broken unicorn souvenir becomes a memory that Jim can carry into the reality of his everyday life, but it now also symbolizes the normal woman that Laura will never become. Active Themes.
What does the candle and wine do to Laura and Jim?
Laura speaks faintly, though she eventually relaxes somewhat. The candles and the wine help to remove the scene between Laura and Jim from reality. Memory, as Tom explains in the beginning of the play, is dimly and romantically lit, as it is here.
Why does Jim use Laura's shyness as a springboard?
Just as Amanda projects her dreams and vision for the future onto Laura, Jim uses Laura’s shyness as a springboard to discuss his own success at overcoming inferiority complexes. Not only is Laura like glass in her fragility, she also refracts everyone else’s light so that their personalities seem to shine more brightly.
What does Amanda assume he forgot?
Amanda assumes that he forgot, and Jim’s enthusiasm helps to smooth over the tense moment. Instead of transforming Laura into the idealized glamour magazine version of the perfect woman that Amanda envisions, Amanda’s new floor lamp and dress have brought out Laura’s own otherworldly, fragile beauty.
What do Jim and Laura hear?
Jim and Laura hear waltz music from the Paradise Dance Hall. Despite Laura’s protests, Jim leads her in a clumsy waltz around the room. They suddenly bump into the table, and the unicorn falls. Its horn is broken off. Laura appears to be unfazed, saying that now it’s become like all the other horses.
What does Laura tell Jim about her glass collection?
In response to his question about what she has done since high school, Laura starts to tell Jim about her glass collection. He abruptly declares that she has an inferiority complex and that she “low-rates” herself. He says that he also suffered from this condition after his post–high school disappointment. He launches into his vision of his own future in television production. Laura listens attentively. He asks her about herself again, and she describes her collection of glass animals. She shows him her favorite: a unicorn. He points out lightly that unicorns are “extinct” in modern times.
What does Jim give Laura in the living room?
In the living room, Jim takes a seat on the floor and persuades Laura to join him. He gives her a glass of wine. Tongue-tied at first, Laura soon relaxes in Jim’s engaging presence. He talks to her about the Century of Progress exhibition in Chicago and calls her an “old-fashioned” girl.
What does Jim notice about the unicorn?
Jim notices the music coming from the dance hall across the alley. Despite Laura’s initial protests, he leads her in a clumsy waltz around the room. Jim bumps into the table where the unicorn is resting, the unicorn falls, and its horn breaks off.
What does Laura remember about Jim?
They reminisce about high school and Jim’s glories. Laura also remembers the discomfort and embarrassment she felt over the brace on her leg.
What does Jim tell Laura about Laura?
Jim tells her that she was far too self-conscious and that everybody has problems. Laura persuades him to sign a program from a play he performed in during high school, which she has kept, and works up the nerve to ask him about the girl to whom he was supposedly engaged.
Overview
Characters
- In response to his question about what she has done since high school, Laura starts to tell Jim about her glass collection. He abruptly declares that she has an inferiority complex and that she low-rates herself. He says that he also suffered from this condition after his posthigh school disappointment. He launches into his vision of his own future...
Synopsis
Original Broadway cast
The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mother, and his mentally fragile sister. In writing the play, Williams drew on an earlier short story, as well as a screenplay he had written under th…
Autobiographical elements
Amanda Wingfield A faded Southern belle who grew up in Blue Mountain, Mississippi, abandoned by her husband, and who is trying to raise her two children under harsh financial conditions. Amanda yearns for the comforts of her youth and also longs for her children to have the same comforts, but her devotion to them has made her – as she admits at one point – almost "hateful" towards them. Tom Wingfield Amanda's son. Tom works at a shoe warehouse to support his fa…
Development
The play is introduced to the audience by Tom, the narrator and protagonist, as a memory play based on his recollection of his mother Amanda and his sister Laura. Because the play is based on memory, Tom cautions the audience that what they see may not be precisely what happened.
Amanda Wingfield, a faded Southern belle of middle age, shares a dingy St. Louis apartment with her son Tom, in his early 20s, and his slightly older sister, Laura. Although she is a survivor and …
Adaptations
The Glass Menagerie opened on Broadway in the Playhouse Theatre on March 31, 1945, and played there until June 29, 1946. It then moved to the Royale Theatre from July 1, 1946, until its closing on August 3, 1946. The show was directed by Eddie Dowling and Margo Jones. The cast for opening night was as follows:
• Eddie Dowling as Tom Wingfield
Later stage productions
The characters and story mimic Williams' own life more closely than any of his other works: Williams (whose real name was Thomas) closely resembles Tom, and his mother inspires Amanda. His sickly and mentally unstable older sister Rose provides the basis for the fragile Laura (whose nickname in the play is "Blue Roses", a result of a bout of pleurosis as a high school student), though it has also been suggested that Laura may incorporate aspects of Williams him…