In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams shows how a person is capable of creating an escape to avoid facing something in their lives, in most cases, reality. Symbolism extends throughout the play and helps bring out and develop the theme of how escapes are created to avoid reality. ... Tom uses alcohol throughout the play as an escape from the reality of his life. ... The first symbol of escape Williams uses in the play for Amanda is the way she dresses. ... Laura uses her menagerie to escape as she plays with it whenever she is uncomfortable and sad. ...

• Word Count: 1274
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

In order to give the impression of the reality of such a situation, Williams represents his play as the construction of Tom Wingfield's memory. ... Tennessee Williams himself admits the fact that his works are to some extent autobiographical: My answer is that every word [in my plays] is autobiographical and no word is autobiographical. ... In fact, examining the similarities of the characters of the play and the real characters in Williams life gives a deeper insight into their personality. Tennessee Williams" actual first name was Thomas and he gave it to his narrator. ... In virtue o...

• Word Count: 3081
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Tennessee Williams takes the aspects of reality, idealism and illusion and mixes them together in The Glass Menagerie. ... In Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie these same struggles are portrayed. ... Thus, Jim symbolizes the only aspect reality in the play. ... Tom Wingfield is the main character and narrator in the play. ... Thus, the family members in Tennessee ...

• Word Count: 1745
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams revolves around the flaws of each of the Wingfields: Amanda Wingfield, a woman of a very confusing nature; Laura Wingfield, one who is partially crippled and lets that make her extremely self conscious; and Tom Wingfield, one who is seen as selfish, and feels trapped and is looking for a way out. Williams" characters are all lost in a dreamy state of illusion or escape wishing for something that they don't have. ... In the beginning of the play Amanda is totally immersed in her own little world of illusion. ... After he left home he was still no...

• Word Count: 551
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In the story of The Glass Menagerie, written by Tennessee Williams, a play about a middle class family struggle with each other. Williams creates a world in which the characters escape from the present situation. ... She searches escape from her physical and emotion disability by collecting glasses ornaments and the play with a victrola. ... Tom is most face the moral dilemma in the play and is the only supporter for the family. ... In the play of "The Glass Menagerie" Williams portrays the conflict that exist in the reality and people's desires. ...

• Word Count: 778
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams is a play in which Tom, the narrator and protagonist, has to deal with the idea of delusion. The play – which explores the themes of abandonment and the impossibility of true escape - is set in St Louis in the late 1930s. ... Williams used various ways such as imageries, exaggerations to convey the delusions to the audience. From the outset, Williams shows that Tom and Laura have to deal with a deluded Amanda on a daily basis. ... Williams warns us about the danger of fantasy – it always leads to harm. ...

• Word Count: 1567
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams" "memory play" originates after World War II in a dark, dreary alley in St. ... The names given by Williams are; Amanda Wingfield to the mother, Laura the daughter, Tom the brother who narrates the play, and Jim the gentleman caller. ... Williams saw fit. ... Laura is a shy, fragile girl during most of the play. ... The theme that I get out of the play is the idea that Laura is looking for an escape in her glass menagerie. ...

• Word Count: 1357
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Amanda and Jim Comparison Two of the main characters in Tennessee Williams's Glass Menagerie are Jim O'Connor and Amanda Wingfield. ... These two characters of Amanda and Jim in the Glass Menagerie are the two main players in the play. ... Overall, Jim O'Connor and Amanda Wingfield are alike in many ways and are two of the main characters in the play....

• Word Count: 513
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Commentary With Tom's direct address to the audience, the play identifies itself as a play. ... Williams's production notes and stage directions emphasize the striving for what Williams described as a "new plastic theater." ... Williams sought the opposite in The Glass Menagerie: truth disguised as illusion. ... Tennessee Williams (born Thomas Lanier Williams) was an aspiring poet in St. ... The tragedy of Rose had a profound effect on Williams's writing throughout his career. ...

• Word Count: 5517
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: High School

In Tennessee Williams's play, The Glass Menagerie, the main character named Amanda has a distorted view of reality becoming blinded of flaws in her family and herself. ... However instead of realizing the foolishness of her illusion, she blames Tom by saying, "What a wonderful joke you played on us!...

• Word Count: 713
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams creates a world in which the characters are disillusioned by the present. ... However, she finds confidence in the old records she plays on the victrola and in her glass menagerie. ... Laura finds confidence playing old records on the victrola and controlling her glass collection. ...

• Word Count: 642
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

There are many factors to becoming a family, a family consists of a group of people being supportive, caring, loving etc. towards each other, this is basically what immediately comes to mind when we think of a family, in Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, The Wingfield's find that many of the family factors become obstacles that they struggle to overcome. ... Throughout the play we see that every time Tom and Amanda argue, he flees to the movies for a period of time and at times returns drunk. ... In the play we notice that the plot is finding a "gentlemen caller" for...

• Word Count: 1324
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography

Symbols of Escape The Characters in Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie are all searching for a way out of their current situation but feel trapped by life itself. The play is set in St. ... Laura's glass collection takes on a special symbol as the play continues. ... As the play continues, Jim attempts to teach Laura how to dance. ... Through out the play there where many symbols of escape. ...

• Word Count: 1620
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

"The play dramatizes the perpetual struggle to which all civilization that is genuine is doomed" (Alexander 184). ... As for The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), the idea conveyed in this play is that of image versus reality. The main theme of this play is about a frustrated family who are deserted by the father and each character escapes his/her reality in a different way. ... The children: Nora plays with her children and treats them like dolls. ... Sounds of the city play on the house speakers" (Hwang 21). ...

• Word Count: 2132
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School