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The Glass Menagerie | Study Guide

Tennessee Williams

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The Glass Menagerie | Infographic

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

the-glass-menagerie-tennessee-williamsGlass AnimalsReveal Laura’s multifaceted personality; the unicorn represents her disabilityFire EscapeSignifies the Wingfields’ entrance to and exit from their illusionary worldGentleman CallerEmbodies future possibilitiesBlue RosesSymbolize Laura’s high school crush Living in the PastMentally dwelling on the past can ruin opportunities for present happiness.AbandonmentThe family has not healed from the desertion of their patriarch.DisillusionmentCharacters’ hopes and dreams are easily ignited and extinguished, much like the candles in the play.ThemesThe Glass Menagerieby the NumbersYear the first film version of The Glass Menagerie—which Williams reportedly hated—was released1950Curtain calls The Glass Menagerie cast received opening night at the Barrymore Theater in New York City 25Major awards Williams received for his plays: 4 Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 2 PulitzerPrizes for Drama, and 1 Presidential Medal of Freedom7Performances of The Glass Menagerie during its first run in New York City, starting in 1945563Main CharactersJimTom’s handsome, congenial, and ambitious acquaintance; potential suitor who embarrasses LauraLauraEmotionally delicate sister; introverted, anxious, and fearfulMr. WingfieldFather who abandons his family; absent from the play’s actionTomBrother who feels captive to his family’s needs; seeks adventureAmandaTom and Laura’s overbearing mother; feigns cheerfulnessAlthough Williams majored in journalism at the University of Missouri, he earned his fame writing plays. The Glass Menagerie, his first major success, opened in Chicago in 1944 and on Broadway in 1945. The play is derived from memories of his own family life—even his time selling shoes.AuthorTENNESSEE WILLIAMS1911–83Tom, Scene VIeople go to the movies instead of moving!In 1937, as the effects of the Great Depression begin to fade, Tom Wingfield works at a thankless job while his mother tries to find a suitor for his sister. As Tom dispassionately describes his life, he recounts an experience that was painful for his sister and reveals that he has deserted his family.Illusions Are a Potent MasterSYMBOLSTennessee Williams1944EnglishPlay AuthorFirst PerformedOriginal LanguageThe GlassMenagerieDramaSources: Biography.com, Critical Companion to Tennessee Williams by Alycia Smith-Howard and Greta Heintzelman, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Famous People, PBS, University of British ColumbiaCopyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.
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