In writing the play, Williams drew on an earlier short story, as well as a screenplay he had written under the title of
The Gentleman Caller
. The play premiered in Chicago in 1944.
What does the title Glass Menagerie mean?
The title specifically refers to
Laura's collection of glass animals, mainly horses
. To escape the harshness of her real existence, Laura spends hours playing with the menagerie; it is an illusory world for her.
What is Tom's nickname in The Glass Menagerie and why?
Tom Wingfield
At work, he is nicknamed
“Shakespeare” because of his ambition to become a successful writer
. One of his few acquaintances on the job is Jim O'Connor. Tom is also the narrator of this “memory” play, through which he intends to memorialize Laura.
Why is The Glass Menagerie an appropriate title for this play?
Laura's Glass Menagerie
As the title of the play informs us, the glass menagerie, or collection of animals, is the play's central symbol. Laura's collection of glass animal figurines represents
a number of facets of her personality
. Like the figurines, Laura is delicate, fanciful, and somehow old-fashioned.
When was The Glass Menagerie first performed?
The original production of Tennessee Williams' autobiographical drama opened on at the Playhouse Theatre
March 31, 1945
. Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie opened Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre March 31, 1945.
Why does Jim Kiss Laura?
Why does Jim kiss Laura?
He is politely telling her good by
. Tom has paid him to do it. He is showing his contempt of Amanda and her silly ideas.
Which word best describes the overall tone of The Glass Menagerie?
| Question Answer | What is the overall tone of The Glass Menagerie? despair despair | How does the playwright use the screens, lighting, and music in the play? to depict a sense of unreality | How does the playwright use the narrator in the play? to comment on the events of the play |
|---|
Why did Jim Call Tom Shakespeare?
Jim called Tom “Shakespeare”
because of his habit of writing poems in the warehouse bathroom when work was slow
. Tom's soliloquy ends, and the lights come up on a living room transformed by Amanda's efforts over the past twenty-four hours.
Why did Mr Wingfield leave in The Glass Menagerie?
We do not know for certain why he left, but as Tom explains, “
He was a telephone man who gave up his job with the telephone company
and skipped the light fantastic out of town.” Amanda recalls how charming he was when he courted her, but always grows wistful for the more noble gentleman callers she turned down to marry …
Why does Laura give the unicorn to Jim?
Laura presents the broken unicorn to Jim
as a souvenir
. The figurine becomes a memory of Laura that Jim can bring with him when he leaves Laura and returns to his life, but it also signifies the normal woman that Laura will never become.
How is The Glass Menagerie a tragedy?
Tennessee Williams's classic play The Glass Menagerie is a tragedy
because each member of the Wingfield family suffers in their own individual way and Amanda's plan for Jim O'Connor to court her handicapped daughter ends in disaster
.
What is Jim a symbol of in The Glass Menagerie?
If the unicorn's horn is not her gift to him, then its symbol with the shattering glass reflects how fragile Laura's condition remains, and there is not a chance of fixing her. Jim
symbolizes the desire to fix something that cannot be fixed
. The instant the unicorn breaks, Laura's family breaks.
What remembrances did Mr Wingfield leave behind?
Wingfield has left behind,
the vitrola and the records remind both the audience and the characters in the play of his existence
. Based on the impact Mr. Wingfield has on the Tom, Amanda and Tom, we can deduce that he plays an important role in the play.
What happens to Laura at the end of The Glass Menagerie?
At the end of the scene,
Tom's violent action causes some of Laura's glass to be shattered
. Tom returns to pick up the glass but is unable to utter a word. This symbolically represents Laura's inner feelings. … Thus, the shattered glass seems to represent Laura's shattered inner feelings.
What is the main theme of The Glass Menagerie?
The main themes in The Glass Menagerie are
memory and nostalgia, filial piety and duty, and gender roles
. Memory and nostalgia: The Glass Menagerie takes place in Tom's memory. Tom, Laura, Amanda, and Jim each feel the pull of both painful memories and nostalgia.
Why does Amanda blame Tom for the evening's failure?
Why does Amanda blame Tom for the evening's failures?
Because Jim is Tom's “best friend” at the warehouse, she thought he would know that Jim would be engaged
. What do we learn about tom and Laura in the first scene? In the play, how does Amanda treat her children?
