Book Analysis: The Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie is about four characters, Amanda Wingfield, mother of Tom, Laura and Jim O’Connor. The story is about a mother who has raised her two kids by herself because the father, Mr. Wingfield left many years ago to continue working other places around the country. After Amanda finds out that Laura has dropped out of school she begins to worry that Laura will not be able to settle down with anyone."I wonder,’ she said, ‘If you could be talking about that terribly shy little girl who dropped out of school after only a few days’ attendance?”(Shmoop Editorial Team) In the story Amanda the mother wants Tom to find a suitable male caller for his sister Laura from his work place. Jim O’Connor was who Tom invited to dinner, this was the

This play is often compared to Tennessee Williams life, because there are a good amount of similarities between William’s life and the lives of the characters. "A blown-up photograph of the father hangs on the wall of the living room, to the left of the archway. It is the face of a very handsome young man in a doughboy 's First World War cap. He is gallantly smiling, ineluctably smiling, as if to say, "I will be smiling forever." (Shmoop Editorial Team). Like their father in the book Tennessee Williams had a complicated relationship with his father. William’s father was a traveling salesman that never liked to stay in the same place, and he was raised by his mother in Mississippi and later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. This is where Tennessee Williams began to write and later in life tried ROTC but failed out. ("Tennessee Williams Biography") Williams went to the University of Missouri in 1929 where he studied writing. At age 28 is when he moved to New Orleans and actually changed his name to Tennessee Williams because that is where his father was from. ("Tennessee Williams Biography") Much like Laura in the play Tennessee Williams real sister had a disability as well. With the plot, Tom, and Laura you can see Tennessee Williams portrayed a good deal of his life to this

Just not doing anything because you are too scared or shy. Laura relates a good bit back to Tennessee’s real life sister. "And she said, ‘No – I remember her perfectly now. Her hands shook so that she couldn’t hit the right keys! The first time we gave a speed test, she broke down completely – was sick at the stomach and almost had to be carried into the wash room! After that morning she never showed up anymore. We phoned the house but never got any answer.’" (Shmoop Editorial Team) A great example is when Laura got so nervous at school and puked in the bathroom floor. Is that the future that we 've mapped out for ourselves? I swear it 's the only alternative I can think of! [She pauses.] It isn 't a very pleasant alternative, is it? [She pauses again.] Of course - some girls do marry." (Shmoop Editorial Team)

Like his father Tom didn 't want to stay home, he felt stuck. He has so much responsibility with his family and life but he doesn 't want to stay in one place. Tom wants to travel and be guilt free of abandoning his family. That 's why Tom gets little sleep and stays out all night drinking and going to the movies. Tom just wants to have fun and not have ties to other people.

The Glass Menagerie was a great interpretation of Tennessee William 's early life. It showed how hard he had it being raised by a single mother and having a sister with a handicap. In the story it shows