The Glass Menagerie Group at eNotes

The three principle characters in The Glass Menagerie are Amanda...

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 06:06:51 PST

The three principle characters in The Glass Menagerie are Amanda Wingfield, Tom Wingfield and Laura Wingfield. Amanda, the mother of Tom and Laura, world is defined by her past experiences when she was a girl in the Blue Mountains. Amanda clings to the past, particularly to a story that she tells over and over about how she had 17 gentleman callers one Sunday afternoon. Her life is dominated by her memories of a past that is probably...

I think that you might be better set to provide a bit more background...

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 05:30:03 PST

I think that you might be better set to provide a bit more background into your question, but I think I can attempt to articulate a vision of Tennessee Williams' characterizations. I think a good way to begin this would be with how Williams, himself, describes the world of his characters: "There are no 'good' or 'bad' people. Some are a little better or a little worse but all are activated more by misunderstanding than malice. A blindness to...

Describe each character's world in "The Glass Menagerie".

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 22:42:48 PST

Describe each character's world in "The Glass Menagerie".

The comparison becomes very important when Tom expresses his longing for...

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:41:59 PST

The comparison becomes very important when Tom expresses his longing for adventure. He contrasts Spain with America, telling us that in Spain things were happening, while in America all we had was jazz, liquor, and sex. He is longing to do, and says he's tired of going to movies and seeing other people have adventure. It truly expresses his frustration with life. I also think the "lit by lightning" part just refers to the times they were...

The symbolism of the glass menagerie changes to parallel the changes in...

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:17:21 PST

The symbolism of the glass menagerie changes to parallel the changes in Laura. Laura herself is symbolized by her glass collection, as she is both beautiful and fragile. Like her glass pieces, Laura "shines" when the light of love or attention falls upon her. Of all her pieces, the unicorn symbolizes her most fully; like the unicorn, Laura is unique and not of the real world. At the play's conclusion, the unicorn's horn is broken, making it...

That's a good question. I think if it changed, then it would lead into...

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:55:16 PST

That's a good question. I think if it changed, then it would lead into something more allegorical as opposed to symbolizing one concrete object.

For the most part, the meaning of the symbols in The Glass Menagerie...

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:05:37 PST

For the most part, the meaning of the symbols in The Glass Menagerie don't change they consistently reflect the conditions in which the characters live, such as Laura's fragile nature which is symbolically illustrated through the glass menagerie. The only element of this symbol that changes is the unicorn. The glass unicorn is a symbol for Laura, who is not like the other horses in her collection because the horn on his head makes him a...

Does the symbol in "The Glass Menagerie" mean the same thing throughout...

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:59:17 PST

Does the symbol in "The Glass Menagerie" mean the same thing throughout the play or does it change?

The Glass Menagerie

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:55:49 PST

Does the symbolism of the glass menagerie represent the same thing throughout the play, or does the meaning change?

The information and images appear to add to the reader's understanding...

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:04:45 PST

The information and images appear to add to the reader's understanding of the scene, to provide background and relevance from the past to give context to the current actions in the play. Laura and Amanda will survive without Tom. Prior to the days of government assistance, such as social security, food stamps, welfare programs in general, people, like Amanda who was an abandoned woman left with children would have had to rely on family to...

Tennessee Williams gives us a very different view of Amanda in the...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:03:59 PST

Tennessee Williams gives us a very different view of Amanda in the conclusion of the play. It's found in his stage directions prior to Tom's closing speech. While Tom speaks, Amanda and Laura play out a pantomime behind him, suggesting what happened in the St. Louis apartment after Tom stormed out: Amanda appears to be making a comforting speech to Laura who is huddled upon the sofa. Now that we cannot hear the mother's speech, her silliness...

#2 I have always wondered that myself- what would be of Amanda and...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:10:35 PST

#2 I have always wondered that myself- what would be of Amanda and Laura? Yet, as their pattern of behavior points to a tendency for stagnation and staleness, I do not think neither ofthem will be doing any differently even if Tom returns after 20 years away.

The images are used as backdrop to strengthen the dialogue between...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:52:41 PST

The images are used as backdrop to strengthen the dialogue between characters using emotional cues of pictures.

http://www.enotes.com/glass-menagerie Check out this link for summary...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:57:37 PST

http://www.enotes.com/glass-menagerie Check out this link for summary and analysis of this play.

In response to post #1, Tennessee Williams explained the use of the...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:27:07 PST

In response to post #1, Tennessee Williams explained the use of the screen in his Production Notes to the play. Here are some excerpts from what he wrote: [The purpose of the screen] is to give accent to certain values in each scene. Each scene contains a particular point (or several) which is structurally the most important . . . . The legend or image upon the screen will strengthen the effect of what is merely allusion in the writing and...

what will happen to laura and amanda after Tom leaves

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:40:16 PST

what will happen to laura and amanda after Tom leaves

Effects

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:39:28 PST

What are the effects of the images and phrases that appear on the screen throughout the play?

At this point in the play, Amanda, Jim O'Connor and Tom are sitting...

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:42:40 PST

At this point in the play, Amanda, Jim O'Connor and Tom are sitting around the table getting ready to have dinner. Amanda has worked very hard on the evening, spending extra money to make the apartment look good, making a special meal and just when she thinks that there is a chance that her mission might actually have a chance at being successful, the lights go out. Amanda is embarrassed by the lights going out, she suspects that Tom has not...

At this point in Scene 7, Laura and Jim are alone in the Living Room and...

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:29:29 PST

At this point in Scene 7, Laura and Jim are alone in the Living Room and she is face to face with her high school crush. This moment is truly a holy moment for Laura, she worshiped Jim O'Connor in silence, to her he is a god. This man, Jim O'Connor, is the only man Laura has ever had feelings for in her life, she is 24 years old and is made to feel like a high school girl again by getting the chance, she never had in high school, to talk to...

Of the four main characters, it is Tom who speaks frequently and...

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 23:40:05 PST

Of the four main characters, it is Tom who speaks frequently and bitterly of the need to escape--to escape his stifling job at the warehouse and his role as the sole financial support for his mother and sister. Tom wants to escape the deadly dull and smothering life he leads in St. Louis and find the adventure and self-fulfillment he believes will make his life meaningful. Once he reaches his breaking point and abandons Laura and Amanda,...