Department of English

Guided Reading - S2

Khalid LAHLOU

Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie

Summary

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 works in a shoe
warehouse to support his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura. Mr. Wingfield, Tom and Laura’s father, ran off years
ago and, except for one postcard, has not been heard from since.

Amanda, originally from a genteel Southern family, entertains her children frequently with tales of her idyllic
youth and the scores of suitors who once pursued her. She is disappointed that Laura, who wears a brace on her
leg and is painfully shy, does not attract any gentlemen callers. She enrolls Laura in a business college, hoping that
she will make her own and the family’s fortune through a business career. Weeks later, however, Amanda discovers
that Laura’s crippling shyness has led her to drop out of the class secretly and spend her days wandering the city
alone. Amanda then decides that Laura’s last hope must lie in marriage and begins selling magazine subscriptions
to earn the extra money she believes will help to attract suitors for Laura. Meanwhile, Tom, who hates his
warehouse job, finds escape in liquor, movies, and literature, much to his mother’s disappointment. During one of
the frequent arguments between mother and son, Tom accidentally breaks several of the glass animal statues that
are Laura’s most prized possessions.

Amanda and Tom discuss Laura’s prospects, and Amanda asks Tom to keep an eye out for potential suitors at the
warehouse. Tom selects Jim O’Connor, a casual friend, and invites him to dinner. Amanda tests Tom about Jim
and is delighted to learn that he is a driven young man with his mind set on career advancement. She prepares an
elaborate dinner and insists that Laura wear a new dress. At the last minute, Laura learns the name of her caller; as
it turns out, she had a devastating crush on Jim in high school. When Jim arrives, Laura answers the door, on
Amanda’s orders, and then quickly disappears, leaving Tom and Jim alone. Tom confides to Jim that he has used
the money for his family’s electric bill to join the merchant marine and plans to leave his job and family in search
of adventure. Laura refuses to eat dinner with the others, pretending illness. Amanda, wearing an flashy dress from
her glamorous youth, talks vivaciously with Jim throughout the meal.

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. She confesses that
she knew and liked him in high school but was too shy to approach him. They continue talking, and Laura reminds
him of the nickname he had given her: “Blue Roses,” an accidental corruption of pleurosis, an illness Laura had
in high school. He reproaches her for her shyness and low self-esteem but praises her uniqueness. Laura then
ventures to show him her favorite glass animal, a unicorn. Jim dances with her, but in the process, he accidentally
knocks over the unicorn, breaking off its horn. Laura is forgiving, noting that now the unicorn is a normal horse.
Jim then kisses her, but he quickly draws back and apologizes, explaining that he was carried away by the moment
and that he actually has a serious girlfriend. Resigned, Laura offers him the broken unicorn as a souvenir.

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.

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Analysis of the Play

Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie (1944) was regarded when first produced as highly unusual; one of the
play’s four characters serves as commentator as well as participant; the play itself represents the memories of
the commentator years later, and hence, as he says, is not a depiction of actuality; its employment of symbolism is
unusual.

The setting is the Wingfield apartment in a shabby apartment, in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the year 1937. The set
has an interior living room area and an exterior fire escape.

Scene 1

Tom Wingfield is in the fire-escape area outside the Wingfield apartment. He explains the concept of a memory
play. He enters the interior setting, where his mother, Amanda Wingfield, and his sister, Laura Wingfield, who
wears a brace on her leg, are seated at a table, waiting to eat dinner. All aspects of the meal are mimed, and as Tom
seats himself, Amanda begins to instruct him on how to eat politely. Tom abruptly leaves the table to have a
cigarette. Laura rises to fetch an ashtray, but Amanda tells her to stay seated, for she wishes Laura to remain fresh
and pretty for her prospective gentleman callers. Amanda recalls her Sunday afternoons in Blue Mountain,
Mississippi, where she received and entertained countless callers. Amanda asks Laura how many callers she
expects to have, and Laura explains that she is not expecting any callers.

Scene 2

In the interior of the Wingfield apartment, Laura sits alone, polishing her glass statues. Hearing her mother
approach, Laura quickly hides her collection and resumes her place behind a typewriter. Amanda reveals that she
has discovered that Laura has dropped out of secretarial school. Laura explains that she became ill during the first
week of school and was too ashamed to return. Amanda pleads with Laura, asking her what she is going to do with
her life. Amanda fears that Laura will be dependent on the charity of others for the rest of her life. Amanda warns
Laura that there is no future in staying home playing with her glass collection and her father’s phonograph records.
She implores Laura to set her sights on marrying. Laura confesses that she had liked a boy named Jim O’Connor
in high school, but she is certain that he must be married by now. Laura acknowledges her disability as her primary
obstacle in forming relationships. Amanda dismisses this claim and advises Laura to cultivate aspects of her
personality to compensate for her disadvantage.

Scene 3

Tom addresses the audience. He explains that Amanda has become obsessed with finding a gentleman caller for
Laura and has begun selling magazine subscriptions to generate extra income. Amanda has a telephone
conversation with a neighbor, trying to convince her to renew her subscription to The Homemaker’s Companion.
Tom and Amanda quarrel about his habits, his writing, and his books. Amanda accuses Tom of being selfish and
of engaging in immoral activities. Tom swears at his mother and bemoans his fate of working in a warehouse to
support his mother and sister. In the heat of the argument, Tom accidentally crashes into Laura’s glass collection,
shattering it to pieces on the floor. Amanda refuses to speak to him until he apologizes. Laura and Tom collect the
shattered glass from the floor.

Scene 4

Tom returns home from a movie and talks with Laura. She asks him to apologize to Amanda. Amanda sends Laura
out on an errand so that she may speak with Tom alone. She and Tom make peace. Amanda warns Tom of the
danger in pursuing an adventurous life. Amanda raises the subject of Laura and the need for Tom to bring a nice
young man home to meet Laura. Amanda promises Tom that she will let him do as he pleases and leave after he
has provided for Laura’s future. Amanda begs him to secure a nice man for Laura first. Tom reluctantly agrees to
try to find someone. Amanda happily returns to soliciting magazine subscriptions.

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Scene 5

On the fire escape, the exterior of the Wingfield apartment, Amanda suggests that Tom should be more mindful of
his appearance. She makes a wish on the new Moon. Tom tells her that he is inviting a gentleman caller for Laura
to the apartment the following evening. Amanda inquires about the character of the gentleman caller. Tom describes
Jim’s qualities and characteristics, and Amanda determines that he is suitable to call. Tom warns Amanda not to
be too excited, because Jim is unaware that he is being invited for Laura’s benefit. Tom expresses concern that
Amanda has unrealistic expectations of Laura. Amanda refuses to accept the reality of Laura’s condition. Tom goes
to a movie and Amanda calls Laura out onto the fire escape. Amanda urges Laura to make a wish on the new
Moon.

Scene 6

On the fire escape and in the interior of the Wingfield apartment, Tom speaks directly to the audience and explains
the nature of his friendship with Jim. Tom makes Jim feel important because Tom can recall Jim’s high school
glory days. In the living room, Amanda and Laura prepare for the arrival of the gentleman caller. Amanda dresses
Laura and discovers one of her own former gowns. At the mention of the name Jim O’Connor, Laura refuses to
participate in the evening’s events. Amanda yells at Laura and orders her to answer the door when the doorbell
rings. Laura freezes with anxiety as Amanda forces her to welcome Tom and Jim. Laura hides in the kitchen while
Amanda converses with Jim O’Connor. Tom goes to the kitchen to check on supper. Amanda summons everyone
to the table. Laura maintains that she is sick and lies on the couch for the duration of the dinner.

Scene 7

In the interior of the Wingfield apartment, the lights in the apartment suddenly go out. Amanda quickly lights
candles, asking Jim to check the fuses. Finding that the fuses are fine, Amanda asks Tom whether he has paid the
electric bill; he has not. After dinner, Amanda asks Jim to keep Laura company. She gives him a candelabrum and
a glass of wine to give to Laura. Amanda forces Tom to join her in the kitchen to wash the dishes. Settling down
on the floor beside Laura, Jim asks her why she is so shy, and Laura asks whether Jim remembers her. She explains
that they had singing class together in high school and reminds him that she was always late because of her
disability. Jim confesses that he never noticed her limp and warns Laura about being self-conscious. Laura takes
out her high school yearbook and Jim autographs it for her.

Laura shows her glass collection to him and Jim marvels over her delicate statues. Hearing music from the nearby
dance hall, Jim asks Laura to dance. She hesitates, but Jim persuades her to join him. They stumble into the coffee
table, breaking Laura’s favorite figurine, a unicorn that she has had for 13 years. Jim apologizes, and Laura
consoles him. Struck by Laura’s charm and delicacy, Jim kisses her. He rebukes himself for his hasty action and
informs Laura that he is engaged. Laura gives him the glass unicorn. Amanda gleefully returns to the living room
with a pitcher of cherry lemonade. Jim apologizes and announces that he has to leave to collect his fiancée at the
train station.

Amanda is horrified by the news and calls Tom out of the kitchen. She accuses him of playing a cruel joke on the
family, but Tom explains that he had no knowledge of Jim’s engagement. Amanda again chastises Tom for
selfishness and for lack of concern for his abandoned mother or his disabled sister. Tom finally leaves the Wingfield
apartment for good. The lights fade on the interior setting, leaving Laura and Amanda in candlelight. Tom appears
on the fire escape and offers the audience details of his departure and journey away from his family. He explains
that no matter how much distance is between them, he can never forget his sister. He instructs Laura to blow out
her candles, and she does.