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I. GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES Tennesee William’s The Glass Menagerie paints Menagerie paints a portrait of a family struggling during a time of great upheaval in America. America. Williams, with great dramatic authority, crafts a intimate study of a tense, claustrophobic apartment, the family that inhabits it, and their futile attempts to find escape from the reality reality of their stifling, stifling, uncertain existence. The brilliance behind this play is how Williams subtly transforms the plight of the Wingfield clan into a greater statement about the dehumanizing effects of industrialization, apathy of the American populace, and the death of the old south. This literary masterpiece would not be as evocative without without its faithful recreation recreation of the 1930’s family unit and its its ultimate collapse. However, the Wingfields are only as real as
the world they live in and this is where Williams shines. His spot on depiction of the 1930’s is peppered with specific references to political and social circumstances that truly make this play representative of the Great Depression era. A. Environmental Facts. 1. Geographical Location- The play is set firmly in St. Louis, Missouri. (Scene 7,Pg 97) The action takes place in the Wingfeild’s apartment, (Scene 4, Pg 40) only accessible through a fire escape (Scene 5, Pg 48) The apartment is located directly directly across an alley from the Paradise Dance Hall. (Scene 5, Pg 48) The weather in the show follows the story arc rather closely. In the first half of the play the weather is clear, but as the dramatic action begins b egins to rise a thunderstorm begins to settle settle over the Wingfeild household. The change in weather indicates a change in tone that dominates the latter half of the play.
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2. Date- In the opening monologue of the play, Tom sets the play squarely in the 1930’s. (Scene 1, Pg 18) Other than this line, we receive no other indication as to the specific year. However, we can use clues left in the script to place the action in a more specific time frame. In several instances in the script Tom mentions Guernica, Spain. This refers to the Bombing of Guernica which took place on April 26, 1937. (times.online.co.uk) Another reference later in the script states that Laura will turn 24 in June. (Scene 7, Pg 82) It stands to reason that the play takes place in May of 1937. This would also support the inclement weather observed in the last two scenes because May is statistically the month with the most p recipitation for the St. Louis area. (climate-zone.com) As far as the specific amount of da ys the action spans, it is impossible to gather straight from the script. There is a break between scene 2 and 3 between which and undisclosed amount of time lapses. This makes any specific choice as to the time span of the play conjecture, unsupported in the script. 3. Economic Environment- The Glass Menagereie takes place during the Great Depression. And with the year being 1937, this places the action in the recession of 1937-1938. During this period, the struggling American economy took an even further turn for the worse. (Yale University Press) The Wingfield family is resolutely middle class, Tom states this fact in his opening monologue. (Scene 1, Pg 18) During this time period, the American middle class fell into poverty. We can see the way that Tom works to support his family and only barely manages to get by. This is indicative of American society as a whole in this period. 4. Political Environment- The political environment of this play is intrinsically tied to the economic troubles of the time. The politics of the day were focused on economic stimulus. The New Deal focused on creating jobs and expanding industry. This factors into the theme of the show because it is ultimately the dehumanizing na ture of industry that drives Tom to seek 2
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adventure in his life. Another interesting fact is that Tom makes several references to world politics and the excitement and grandeur of the war overseas. It is a fascinating parallel because 1937 saw the passage of the neutrality acts, a bill that specifically forbade American citizens participation in or involvement with any nation currently involved in conflict. This isolationism forces Tom to look to the politics outside of the United States. He references the appointment of Neville Chamberlain to the position of prime minister of Britain. I feel that this indicates Toms frustration with the stagnation of American politics, reflecting the general view of the lowermiddle class at the time. 5. Social Enviroment“To
begin with, I turn back time. I reverse it to that quaint period, the thirties. When the huge middle class of America was matriculating in a school for the blind. Their eyes had failed them, or they had failed their eyes. And so they were having their fingers forcibly pressed down on the fiery braille alphabet of a dissolving economy. In Spain there was revolution. Here there was only shouting and confusion. In Spain there was Guernica. Here there were disturbances of labor, sometimes pretty violent, in otherwise peaceful cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis… this is the social background of the play.” Tom- Scene 1, Pg 18
In the passage above we are given the entire social background in a concise monologue. I posit that this monologue is in effect the thesis of the play. The play does not stray from this thesis, and does not expand beyond these social circumstances. 6. Religious Environment- In The Glass Menagerie the religious environment never influences the plays action. If not for the occasional biblical reference or prayer before dinner one could read the play and assume the Wingfields were a secular family.
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B. Previous Action The Glass Menagerie does concern itself quite a bit with the previous actions of its characters. The key previous action that influences the narrative is the departure of the Wingfield’s father. A man in the telephone industry, he fell in love with the allure of travel to foreign shores. In his opening monologue Tom recounts how one day his father quit his job and left town. The family’s last contact with him was a postcard from Mexico with no return address. This past action is incredibly important to the play as it dictates the present situation the family finds itself in. It can be inferred that Mr. Wingfeild’s departure was the catalyst for his
family’s collapse.
The other paramount previous action is Laura’s past relationship with Jim at Soldan High School. In high school, Laura felt terribly embarrassed by her frequent illness and necessary use of a corrective leg brace. Yet this didn’t stop her from pining for Jim, the most popular bo y in her class throughout high school. This previous action is very important to the plot because it bears the emotional weight of the show. If this previous action is not made explicitly clear early in the show, the climax of the play would end up falling short. C. Polar Attitudes
1. Laura begins the play a shy, meek character, yet she still has a streak of vivacity and want for life. At the end of the play, we see that vivacity gone. Her rejection by Jim has irreparably damaged her psyche.
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II. LANGUAGE In any work by Tennessee Williams, one key identifying feature is his heightened use of language. The Glass Menagerie is no exception. In this play, as with any of his other works, Williams uses language to tell his characters stories; furthermore, to hint at their motivations. In addition to the wealth of subtext, Williams approaches his characters dialogue with a poetic sensibility. His dialogue pays homage to perhaps the greatest of texts; sweeping monologues hearkening back to the grand, tragic soliloquies of Shakespearian tradition. In regards to language, The Glass Menagerie is an incredibly rich play. Specifically, the way the dialogue, speech patterns, and word choice evolve with the plot. Because this element of the show is all, but static, it helps the reader to better understand the dramatic arc, the characters mental processes, and the steadily rising stakes. The text of The Glass Menagerie also exemplifies another literary hallmark of Williams'the poignant and thematically strong imagery interspersed throughout the work. In this particular play, seemingly innocuous phrases or images are continuously built upon, philosophized, and ultimately integrated into a greater thematic meaning. Therefore, broadening the scope of the play's message. This technique allows Williams to transform this family unit into a model and allegory for the social mores of the time. Another key feature of the language of Tennessee William's drama is his meaning between the dialogues. So much as a simple dash in a line of text contains a wealth of
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information. A small break in dialogue may be an eternity on stage. However, Williams does have a penchant for verbosity. His stage directions, which he did in fact write himself, are often multi-paragraph, poetic descriptions of the action. For purposes of this assignment, I have eschewed the stage directions in favor of working directly from the text. This reveals an interesting fact about Williams as a writer. His stage directions, however beautifully written, can in fact be done away with. The text itself is rich enough to support the world of the play. A. Choice of Words. In typical Williams’ fashion, the dialogue in The Glass Menagerie could never be considered everyday speech. The speech used in this play is taken to a poetic extreme. The use of this poetic language is paramount to the narrative structure of the piece as a whole. This is best exemplified in the character Tom’s soliloquys in the play.
“…This
was compensation for the lives that passed like mine,
without any change or adventure. Adventure and change were imminent in this year. They were waiting around the corner for all the kids. Suspended in the mist over Berchtgaden, caught in the folds of Chamberlain’s umbrella. In Spain there was Guernica! But here there was only hot swing music and liquor, dance halls, bars, and movies, and sex that hung in the gloom like a chandelier …” (Scene 5, Pg 48)
In the quote above, it is evident that the play unabashedly breaks the fourth wall. This novel narrative framing is evocative of Shakespearian theatre. Just as the prologue of Romeo and Juliet sets its scene in fair Verona, Tom ’s poetic narration eloquently lays the framework for
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this claustrophobic, tense, St. Louis apartment. The poetry of his words allows this framing device to rise above cliché and set the world of the play. Williams, throughout the script makes key distinctions between his characters through their specific use of words. For example, Amanda, a southern belle who reminisces in the memory of the old south in its prime makes heavy use of colloquialisms picked up in her former life. In her ‘jonquils’ monologue (Scene 6, Pg 60) Amanda recounts a story of a bout of malaria
and a former “gentlemen caller.” The passage is rife with idioms of the south that no longer
exists- “governor ’s balls,” “East Tennessee to the Delta,” and her favorite flower “ jonquils.” These references clearly separate her background from any other character in the play. Jim on the other hand, a model man of the 20th century driven by the allure of burgeoning industry, uses words that connote the positive aspects of modernization. “Progress,” “science,” and perhaps the
most telling, “future,” a concept which dominates the characters thoughts, but in Jim’s dialogue has a hopeful meaning, a vision beyond The Great Depression and more immediately the recession of 1937-1938. Generally the use of language more specifically the structure of the characters dialogue indicates the education of the people in the play. Tom’s use of complex sentence structure and charged thematic imagery exemplify his self-taught interest in literature and foreign shores. (Scene 1, Pg 16) As stated in the script, (Scene 7, pg 82) Laura reveals that she dropped out of high school. This is reflected in Laura’s dialogue as it comes across as clipped, simple, and
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stilted. Laura directly contrasts Jim in this regard. Jim who is undoubtedly the character with the most formal education is extremely verbose. While he is only in the last two scenes he dominates the action just by the sheer long-windedness of his speech. Amanda, however, gives no direct indication to her level of formal schooling, yet her dialogue gives us volumes of clues as to her background. Given these clues one can infer that Amanda’s education was mainly focused on the social customs and niceties of the old south. Specifically, this is clearest in one instance in the script. In her questioning of Tom about Jim O’Connor (Scene 5, Pg 53) we see the way the ideals of southern politeness have shaped her way of confronting issues. In this case, she discusses how her culture dealt with discreet inquiries of character in regards to potential suitors. This passage spells out plainly how Amanda’s dialogue is structured. Almost fleeting away from conflict; making all her accusations in the most innocuous ways she can. Over the course of the script the use of contractions is fairly isolated. When they are used it is generally Amanda using them. There is however one passage where the use of contractions hits a fever pitch. Amanda, shortly after meeting Jim has a monologue where we catch her in full southern drawl. (Scene 6, Pg 68) In this monologue, her careful speech pattern is abandoned and we see her in a moment of gaiety and joy, thrilled to finally entertain a guest and more importantly a gentlemen caller. Yet it is only in this instance does any character drop their use of Standard American English grammar. Ultimately, the use of language in this play is to fully flesh out these characters and their mental state. To elaborate, the character of Amanda has a very clear arc over the course of the script. She chooses her words carefully and as an audience member we begin to see her as a tragic character, a product of her time. She makes slight remarks about race “-You be the lady 8
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this time and I’ll be the darky.” (Scene 1, Pg 20) To stereotyping the Irish as drunkards. (Scene 5, Pg 53) These clue the reader into her cultural roots. The word choice also fleshes out the steadily rising stakes. In the first half of the play, (Scene 2, Pg 30) Amanda makes the distinction that Laura should never call herself a cripple. Yet after all is said and done and Laura’s chance at being a socially acceptable lady is dashed we begin to truly see Amanda for who she is as she calls Laura a cripple. This change in word choice completes Amanda’s character arc. We can finally see her clearly as a desperate woman, clinging to any hope of stability in the uncertain world of The Great Depression. B. Imagery It is interesting to note, in the original stage directions for the pla y, Williams introduced a concept for projections that ran throughout the show. They displayed the imagery of the text in a literal sense. While this staging convention is a fascinating idea, I feel that it would end up robbing the script of its ethereal quality. However, the thought behind the concept is a real concern with the script itself. In a show so rife with rich imagery, how do you make the thematically important stand out amongst the rest? In my analysis of the script, I came to understand that The Glass Menagerie can be distilled down to two images that cut right to the narrative and thematic heart of the text. Respectively, they are the images of ‘blue roses’and ‘the gentlemen callers.’ The image of blue roses is significant as it comes to represent Laura, herself. Because the axis of this play revolves around Laura, this image becomes quite the appropriate synonym for her character. Originally derived from a misunderstanding about a childhood case of pleurosis, ‘blue roses’ became her nickname in high school. At the time this play was written (app. 1943) the idea of a blue rose was unheard of. As early as the 12th century blue roses have come to
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symbolize impossibility. Today they can be created in a lab or through dyes, but they do not exist in nature. So taken out of modern context, the meaning behind the image is that Laura, however beautiful, compassionate, or honest she is- there still remains the fact that she is inexplicably separate from other women. (Scene 7, Pg 89) Whether it is her shy nature, or just her lack of interest in worldly things it makes her unattainable, untouchable, a blue rose. The image of the gentleman caller is another image integral to the theme of the show, Amanda revels in her glory days when “seventeen gentlemen callers” were at her beck and call. (Scene 3, Pg 31) This image becomes representative of the south that died with The Great Depression; a direct contrast to the advent of new industry, which in fact had already started to permeate the American South as early as 1933 with the New Deal. The irony is palpable in text. Amanda, who praises industrialization as the way of the future fails to realize that it was the very principle that paved over her cherished memories as a girl. Overall, I feel that the images of the show are of a societal nature. These can be clearly seen in Jim’s pontification of new industry (Scene 7, Pg 84) as well as Tom’s soliloquys through the script, but particularly the one that prefaces scene 5. (Scene 5, Pg 48) While imagery is heavily employed by most characters in the show, Laura is the only one who refrains from using any particularly rich imagery. I feel that this is because Laura through the play becomes an image in her own right. Towards the end of the play she behaves in an almost ethereal manner- present, but vacant. As far peculiar characteristics are concerned, this script fairly straight forward. Other than the heightened language, colloquialisms in regards to Amanda’s speech , and the verbosity of the stage directions the play really doesn’t betray its subtle, quiet nature. However, it is important to note that the punctuation is of the utmost importance. Williams’s dialogue has a
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natural rhythm; it is clearly marked by his use of punctuation. Generally, he uses dashes to indicate the places where a break needs to happen- A moment onstage to let the dialogue soak in and take focus. Yet other than that simple key fact, the script has few strange characteristics other than Tennessee Williams’ literary hallmarks as were discussed previously.
IV. CHARACTERS
Laura The character Laura in The Glass Menagerie is an interesting figure to research. She is resolutely a passive character in the script, yet she is the main focus of the plays narrative heart. Laura instigates so little action within the plot, but she is th e axis that the plot revolves around. This is particularly tragic because within the context of the play this is completely at odds with what she wants. A. Want Laura can be interpreted to have a rather conflicted set of wants. Her shyness is a common thread throughout all her interaction. If taken at base value one could infer that all she wants is to withdraw, to be a wallflower. However, I feel that this interpretation ignores human nature. Even though Laura is written as pure and innocent we see a modicum of desire and selfreliance through her actions. In scene 2, page 27, Laura details what she was doing while hiding from her business college classes. She willfully kept a secret and did what she wanted to do. In the climactic scene with Jim we see her break out of her shell and actually attempt to court the man who she has pined for all her life. In my view, I believe Laura wants more than anything else to be normal for once in her life. Because in her eyes, “Blue isn’t right for - roses.” (Scene 7, Pg 89) 11
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against her because she can’t manage much more than a small act of rebellion at the age of 24, e.g. dropping out business school. Instead of making a stand, she allows Amanda to dictate the plans for her future. C. Moral Stance Morally, Laura is undoubtedly the strongest character in the play. I think this comes from a place inside herself as opposed to her upbringing. Laura has an inherent moral and ethical spirit with an abundance of compassion. Honestly, I do not feel that Laura could mentally handle knowingly committing wrong against someone. I believe the guilt would be far too much for her. Because ultimately, the means would never justify the ends in Laura’s view. D. Physical Appearance In the script, physical descriptions are mainly given in the stage directions. However there are a few scattered textual clues as to the appearance of Laura. We know her age from a specific reference turning 24 in June, firmly placing her at 23 years old. While we are not given a detailed description, we can infer that she would be slender as supported by Amanda remarking about her flat chest and forcing her to wear “gay deceivers” to enhance her bust. (Scene 6, Pg 59) Another key hint to her physical appearance is the other characters use of the word “crippled.” (Scene 5, Pg 55) This leads me to believe that due to the difficulty of movement for her that she would not have much toned muscle, if any at all. Despite these less than flattering descriptions, Jim does describe her as uniquely pretty. (Scene 7, Pg 89-90) This raises the question as to whether her mother judges her more harshly than society would. Taking what is
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known about Amanda into account, this is not a large leap in logic, and leads me to the conclusion that Laura is rather pretty, despite her flaws. As for her behavior within the context of the show, I feel that it can be summed up as stilted. This influences all of her traits in some regard. Her natural gait would be awkward as a result of her handicap, and her stance meek and unimposing. Her speech patterns would also be keenly described as meek and soft. Perhaps her speech is barely more audible than a whisper. It is important to note that all of these traits stem from her mental insecurity. In analyzing my featured scene I see a clear point in the script where she breaks from her typical clipped responses and starts joking, genuinely enjoying herself. This however is only fleeting; not shortly after we see Laura more broken than before, rendered to complete speechlessness after Jim’s revelations. E. Summary Adjectives
a) Want- Normality, regularity. b) Will- Feeble, powerless, anemic, supine c) Moral Stance- Pious, faint-hearted, compassionate d) Physical Appearance- Enigmatic, alternative, sickly
Jim The character Jim is the odd character out in this piece. His demeanor, outlook, and prospects are significantly brighter than those of the Wingfield clan. Yet, he is in essence a glorified plot device and stays a fairly static character in the two scenes he appears in the script. A. Want 13
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role in the play doesn’t allow the audience to know him as intimately as we have gotten to know the rest of the characters. However his role in the narrative, dialogue, and interests point toward a specific conclusion. If his role in the play is to act as a foil to Tom, as well as the final straw for the Wingfeild family we can infer that his want would be in opposition to Tom’s. If I were to make an educated guess, I feel that Jim wants more than anything else to be a pioneer of the bourgeoning industry of the time. B. Will Jim in direct contrast to Laura has an incredibly strong will. More so than any other character in the script, Jim sees the value in self-improvement. Jim attends classes in public speaking and radio engineering; he pursues a better life for himself and seems unshakeable in his optimism. His is the kind of will that will not compromise. Jim has a clear vision for his future and will not be stopped in his pursuit of self-betterment. C. Moral Stance Jim has a strange moral ambiguity in the context of this show. He comes across in his dialogue as a morally upstanding young man, but his action speaks otherwise. As a person, Jim is most likely an upstanding man- dedicated, hard-working, and loyal. I don’t believe that he would sink to any low to get what he wants. Yet he does trigger Laura’s emotional breakdown at in the last few scenes of the show. However, I don’t see this as a moral lapse of the character, but instead I think it is indicative of his youth and a rash decision in the moment. Because even as he realizes that he breaks Laura’s dreams he tries to do so in a delicate manner (Scene 7, Pg 91)
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characters in the show. Directly quoted from the script Jim is 23 years old. (Scene 7, Pg 82) He is of full Irish descent. (Scene 5, Pg 53) He is also described as “Not too good looking…covered with freckles, and without much of a nose.” (Scene 5, Pg54) His behavior is best described as incredibly garrulous as evidenced by his verbose, pontificating monologues (Scene 7, Pg 89-90) The only other outright description of him in the text is in Tom’s monologue that prefaces Scene 6 (Pg. 57) In this monologue Tom describes Jim with the “scrubbed and polished look of white chinaware.” This indicates to me that Jim takes much pride in his appearance which would make quite a bit of sense in regards to his penchant for self-improvement. While the play does not contain any textual examples of Jim’s movement style we do know that Jim was an athlete (among many other things) in high school. (Scene 7, Pg 56) It can be inferred that Jim is a rather large man. This is supported by his gregarious demeanor in the play. One could infer that he is rather lumbering and perhaps a bit clumsy as he does manage to break Laura’s prized glass unicorn while dancing. (Scene 7, Pg 88) As for his voice, he is described throughout the play as a very skilled singer, so one could assume his voice to be very pleasing to listen to. E. Summary Adjectives a) Want- Innovative b) Will- Tenacious, stable, enduring c) Moral Stance- Rash, apologetic, loyal, 15
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V. PLAYWRIGHTS INTENTION or IDEA A. The Title The Glass Menagerie takes its title from what Laura has come to call her collection of glass animal figurines. I believe that Williams chose this title to imply a double meaning. Each member of the Wingfeild household has their own insecurities, fears, and distractions. Like the animals in Laura’s glass menagerie these people are fragile. Trapped and confined to the claustrophobic apartment they share by the economic and social pressures of their time B. Philosophical Statements in the Play. “…This was compensation for the lives that passed like mine, without any change or adventure. Adventure and change were imminent in this year. They were waiting around the corner for all the kids.” In this quote from the play, Tom philosophizes about how the current social focus on industry and money has left middle-class America dissatisfied with life. Society has effectively made it a social stigma to pursue individual dreams and aspirations. They’re trapped by social pressure to buy into the new American dream, one of industry, one of extreme responsibility. These people are waiting for an absolution, a change in their lives that would allow them to pursue their dreams. I feel that this hits at the thematic heart of the play because all of these 16
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characters want something more fulfilling than their shabby Saint Louis apa rtment, but are so immobilized by what society and even their other family members expect of them. C. The Basic Action of the Play The Glass Menagerie is about the disintegration of a family as its members struggle to find fulfillment and happiness in the midst of The Great Depression. D. The Scene The scene I have chosen to feature is the emotional climax of the play. Narratively, it is a turning point for all of the characters. Laura is emotionally devastated after having everything that she wanted for a fleeting second only to have it taken away from her . Laura’s devastation and Amanda’s subsequent accusations cause a change in Tom, who realizes that there is no possibility for happiness in his current life- so he leaves. His battle the entire play was to try and escape without hurting his family, but he finally sees that it’s not possible. We are all bound by social responsibility, Toms only option to escape was to remove himself from the society that bound him.
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VI. GROUNDPLAN 1. I believe that my ground-plan does give my actors quite a bit of obstacles to work with; specifically, I wanted to reinforce the claustrophobic nature of th e space so I purposefully used large furniture to cut the negative space. 2. While I do think my playing areas are small, I think they are effective in letting my actors work in them. Also, because I have tightly focused my acting areas, I feel that it gives me a stronger framework for creating images. 3. I think the tension in the ground plan comes from the symmetric balance of my walls and open mirror in contrast to the asymmetry of furniture placement. 4. Yes, my corners are tied down sufficiently I believe.
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