The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams

Overview of The Glass Menagerie

By Tennessee Williams

• About the Drama:- The Glass Menagerie is a One act play and is also 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. In writing the play, Williams drew on earlier short stories, as well as a screenplay he had written under the title The Gentleman Caller.
  
  

• About the Author:- Thomas Lanier Williams III, known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama.

Characters

1. Amanda Wingfield - The Mother
2. Laura Wingfield - Her Daughter
3. Tom Wingfield - Her Son
4. Jim O'Connor - The Gentleman Caller
5. Emily Meisenbach - Jim used to go out with!

Points, which are important to understand the story!

• The story is written from the perspective of Tom's imaginative mind. So sometimes the story is exaggerated from reality. 
• The whole structure of the drama is like, it had been presenting itself on stage on behalf of the readers.
• A gentleman caller means a boyfriend or a man who came to propose.
• Laura, the daughter is crippled, physically handicapped. So she actually didn't receive any callers.
• Her mother, Amanda being a charming woman, received many callers. with the flow of the story, she mentions many times that she received 17 callers on her Blue Mountain days.
• Her mother enrolled Laura in typing classes but Laura didn't actually like the classes. She instead of going to the classes, she likes to play with her little glass menageries.
• A Glass Menagerie is a small piece of glass model, used for decorating a room.
• Tom is a worker in a factory. But actually, he didn't like his job. His nature is very much like his father, who takes enjoyment in roaming about through the world.
• Their father and the husband of Amanda is a telephone company's telephoner, who left home and send them just a letter as his parting gift. And he is missing since then.
• Laura is pretty much self-conscious about herself; she fears contact with strangers. 
• Amanda teaches Laura about many things because she knows that her daughter is crippled and if she has to overcome her handicapped then she has to learn the skills and charms! 

The First Scene starts; scene on stage - "An Alley in St. Louis"

• From here on the summary starts _

Scene 1

The first scene starts with the description of the Wingfield apartment, tenement. How it starts on stage, is written. Tom starts by saying that he is going to show us the truth, disguised in illusion. Rooms are exclaimed briefly, as it is in memory lights are focused soothingly. Amanda asked Tom to come and join the dinner, her continuous nagging vexed him and he left; and placed himself behind portieres. Amanda asked Laura no to do anything except studying as she is going to receive gentleman callers. Amanda said how on Blue Mountain she received 17 callers and how well fortunes are they. Their fortunes expressed. Amanda asked how many Laura will be receiving today but in reality, she is not receiving any. She said, "Mother's afraid I'm going to be an old maid." 

Scene Ends.

Scene 2

Laura was polishing her glass goods when Mother, Amanda suddenly came and startled her. Amanda reveals that she didn't go to D.A.R (she worked there) because on the way she meets Laura's teacher and asked the typing instructor about Laura's progress. But he couldn't be able to recognize who is she. As he brought the register, it marked absent beside Laura's name for many past days. After this, her mother tears up all the diagrams when she returned home and asked Laura where she was going on those days. Laura told various places and named everything that she was actually doing all this time. All hope of her mother shutters. His mother then said Laura will bear the crust of humility all of her life except she will marry. From Laura, Amanda knows about Jim, her childhood crush, called her Blue Roses Once (He called her that because when she mentions her Pleurosis, she heard it like Blue Roses). Jim was engaged to Emily then. But Amanda insisted that Laura have to marry. But she is crippled. Amanda also says that if so then overcome it by charms and vivacity. Her mother then said that it was the charms that brought her close to their father.

The smiling image of their father is shown on the wall of the dining hall. Ending the scene.

Scene 3

Amanda now is more focused on the second choice which is to make Laura married. So she goes calling Ida Scoot (Her Link) but at last, it didn't work out. As the story flow goes on, the quarrel between Tom and Amanda takes place; it is about his job, shoe-making. Tom, again and again, talks about his point but Mother won't listen, at last, it breaks out into an outburst, at night he told that he didn't actually go to the movies (he always uses this excuse when he left home at night), he said, instead he went to various places and the news of them will make their family members sleepless (he means they are dangerous dealings). In anger when Tom is about to leave the home, he tries to snatch his coat from the wall and tore off. And this infuriated him more; he throws his coat off and it hits the glass collection of Laura. Those Menageries fall on the ground and breaks into pieces, Laura cries into panic for this. Tom told her mom that she is an old witch. Though they are all bewildered by the heat of the situation, Tom sympathizes with her sister for breaking her dear collection. And then he started collecting the fallen pieces of glass. 

The Scene ends with "The Glass Menagerie" Music. 

Scene 4

The next day Tom comes home at 5 a.m., in a drunken state. And when it is 7 o'clock in the morning Laura came and woke him up and asked him to apologize to his mother, for the last night's quarrel, before leaving for his work. In the morning there happened a little melodrama between the mother and the son and at last, he apologized to her mother and she excused him. Then she talked to him about Laura. How she was always tensed, thinking about Tom and worrying for him. Amanda knows that Tom always seeks adventure in life like her father and he didn't actually like his recent job. So for calming him, his mother said most young people find adventures in their job and Tom disagreed and said he didn't like his warehouse job at all. After that Amanda talked about her real concern about Laura because Laura is in total dependent self now. She may be is dependent on his brother now but the future is the reason why his mother is worrying so much. Before sending her son to work, she asked him to take care of his elder sister and also told him to find a suitable man for Laura. She insisted that Tom will find someone suitable for his work in the warehouse. And after a lot of nagging, he agrees at last. 

After Tom's departure, Amanda again called and asked for a subscription (to Ida Scott). Scene ends. 

Scene 5

Later Tom Passed Amanda while smoking and she lectured him for smoking too much. For this too much nagging Tom got vexed and came outside and describes (as it was all according to his memory) about the alley of which there is Paradise Dance Hall. Amanda came outside also and seeing the moon she asked Tom what may be her wish. Tom said he knows her to wish because it always concerns the gentleman caller. Then he said that he actually finds a caller for Laura as Amanda wishes. This news makes her spellbound. Tomorrow he is coming to their house. As soon as possible, Amanda engaged herself in preparing for this as it will be the first gentleman caller for Laura. According to Tom, his name is James D. O'Connor (Delaney). And Amanda asked if he drinks or not? (It was always her concern). But Tom actually doesn't know about that and her nagging for the answer created a conflict between them. She began combing Tom's hair and asked if James is homely or not? In answer, Tom said James goes to night school for studies, and Amanda likes this attribute of James. But Tom also gave a warning that He didn't know about Laura. Because Laura is different from other girls and that is a concern of her brother. Without telling James the real reason for his calling, strikes in Tom as a guilty feeling so again he quarreled with his Mother for cheating him and left for work. Amanda then calls Laura out and made her wish for her happiness! 

But What is the Actual Happiness?_It is happiness or not; what it meant for them, is really a mystery. 

Scene 6

In Tom's re-memory, he describes how he brought Jim and it was Jim from childhood, he says and how he is the more preferable one than others. Next is to show; Amanda is preparing in the full phrase, making Laura ready and made her shine with glamour. And at last she, herself shines for the preparation. In this process of being ready, Amanda again goes back to telling her old stories about the 17 callers on the Blue Mountain. And in the middle of describing it to Laura, she gives away the name of the gentleman caller. And the name itself gave horrors to Laura. She said if it was really him who she is thinking it to be; then she wouldn't come to the table. But when they actually came to the door, Amanda forced Laura to go. And she was forced by her mother, went to the door and received them shyly; Greeted them and went inside. Here on Jim and Tom had a conversation while Tom expresses his dreams of adventures. Mother came and shook them off by her girlish appearance and beauty. Amanda again went in her own imaginative thoughts of speaking, but it was broken by Tom's Query for supper. But horrors, Laura is ill now and is in bad shape, almost thrown up on the table (because she was nervous about meeting Jim). And this attitude of her ashamed them both.

At last, the scene ends with their apology to Jim!

Scene 7

Half an hour has passed after that incident, they are having dinner now. Lights are out by then and it seemed that Tom didn't pay the electric bill actually. After dinner, Amanda gave Jim a candlestick and a glass of wine; told him to go to Laura as she is alone now. As he went to Laura and had a conversation with her, their many stories unfold to each other from the past (He is the childhood crush of Laura - *calling Blue Rose). Then he listened to the problems of Laura and deduced how inferiority complex is causing her trouble. They got accustomed to each other soon. All their misunderstanding clears up one by one. They started dancing in waltz and at last, she reveals her interest in glass items to Jim. While they are dancing in their heat of circumstances Laura's favorite Glass Piece - Unicorn feel and broke its horn (highly symbolical). And Laura becomes clear-minded, she isn't angry because of this. But the situation got romantic and Jim kisses her on the excitement of the situation. But alas! Reality strikes again and Jim seeks sorry for kissing. He told that he is already engaged with a girl named Betty. But Laura didn't break, instead, she gave him her piece of glass as a souvenir. Then from the kitchen, Amanda came between them and listen to the whole story. Jim leaves at last because at dock Betty is waiting. After his departure, Amanda began scolding Tom for not knowing this important piece of information about him (His being engaged to Someone). And at last, the scene ends with Tom's rushing out and Laura ends the scene by extinguishing the candle. 

Explaining The Ending with the Monologue

In the final scene of  “The Glass Menagerie”, Tom’s monologue synchronizes directory with Laura blowing out the candles of the candelabra. It was the candelabra that Amanda had given Jim (the gentleman caller) to take and go talk to Laura who felt sick and left the room when she discovered that the gentleman caller was the boy she had a crush on in high school.

Tom leaves the house forever after he is berated by Amanda for bringing home a gentleman caller for Laura who (unbeknownst to Tom) was already engaged. Tom leaves St. Louis and “descended the steps of this fire escape for the last time and followed from then on, in my father’s footsteps, attempting to find in motion what was lost in space… Perhaps it was a familiar bit of music. Perhaps it was only a piece of transparent glass… (referring to Laura’s glass menagerie). Perhaps I am walking along a street at night, in some strange city, before I have found companions. I pass the lighted window of a shop where perfume is sold. The window is filled with pieces of colored glass, tiny transparent bottles in delicate colors, like bits of a shattered rainbow. Then all at once, my sister touches my shoulder. I turn around and look into her eyes. 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 run into the movies or a bar, I but a drink, I speak to the nearest stranger—anything that can blow your candles out! (The following passage synchronizes with Laura blowing out the candles)… For nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura---and so goodbye…” (She blows the candles out).

Tom is troubled by how he deserted Laura. He tried to help her and his mother, but he could not live with them any longer—the guilt is overwhelming and he finds no peace. He wants the interminable reminder of what he has done to end… and thus asks Laura to forgive him and to forget about him. This is the symbolism in the passage of asking her to blow out the candles. Laura and Amanda are destined to continue living their lives with little income and no husband to take care of Laura. Tom is asking her forgiveness and she grants his request by blowing out the candles.

So it ends, please tell me how you like my short summary about The Glass Menagerie in the comment section. Also if you have any complaints, notify me; Freely! Thank you for reading!