The Glass Menagerie

A detailed Summary of The Glass Menagerie


In Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" distortion is evident from the very beginning. The Wingfields are all, each one, living in some sort of fantasy that is a distortion of reality, or they are trying to be someone they are not. While each member of the family's problems are different, they all have in common that distorted view of reality.

Amanda, the mother of the family, cares for her children (Laura and Tom) a great deal, perhaps too much. Seeing as how she is older and without a husband, she makes it her business to orchestrate the marriage plans of her daughter, Laura; of course, with the underlying intention of making sure she herself is taken care of. She is unable to see Laura as what she is--- a cripple; she has the ideal plan in her head for Laura to meet and marry the perfect gentleman caller, and live happily


Throughout the play, Williams is careful to incorporate the use of music that fits whatever the mood is of that particular scene. The music is a major factor in his making the distortion obvious to the audience. It is often low and eerie, but does shift to fit different situations. The music tends to set the mood of the scene.

Williams also manages to add an element of distortion to the set. For example, Laura's collection of glass figures (which Amanda calls her little glass menagerie). The collection serves as a parallel to Laura's condition. She is surrounded by people just like her, her equals, but she is unable to get over her defect, which in actuality is almost unnoticeable to others. Therefore, she chooses to sit on the sidelines of life, rather than take part in the fun that she could be having, just like the figurines of her glass menagerie

Some common words found in the essay are:
Laura Tom, Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams, glass menagerie, distortion obvious,

Approximate Word count = 582
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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