... of the reality of such a situation, Williams represents his play as the construction of Tom Wingfield's memory. There are important autobiographical aspects in The Glass Menagerie and the characters which it depicts. These biographical connections are important in understanding the characters. 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. You can't do creative work and adhere to facts. For instance, in my new play there is a boy who is livin...

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

... 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. Louis in the mid 1930's, during the depression era. There was war in Europe and a struggling economy in America. The Wingfield family, who lived in an apartment building, consisted of Amanda, Laura, and ... , the record player a place she could escape to and feel no pain. Laura also paid a lot of attention to her glass collection. As Tom mentioned to his mother as he described his sister, "She lives in a world of ...

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

... make more memories. Until she does this, her entire life will be based on these memories, and, therefore, so will Laura's. "The poignancy of The Glass Menagerie derives principally from the characters of Amanda and Laura, whom Williams pictures as trapped in a conflict between reality and illusion- (Ritter 175). Laura's desire to make her mother happy caused her to live in ... the illusion of her mother's world. She did not understand what the "real world- was like, and was far too afraid of herself and her flaw to ... . Opening Nights; Theater Criticism of The Sixties. G.P. Putnam's So...

• Word Count: 2052
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

In the drama, The Glass Menagerie (1945), Tennessee Williams reflects upon personal experiences he and his family encountered during the Depression of the 1930's. As a lower class family, the characters are placed in the slums of St. Louis in 1935. The protagonist, Tom Wingfield, is the narrator and Williams" surrogate. Living with his mother and sister, Tom supports them by working in a shoe manufacturing warehouse. He ... identifies with her glass menagerie because she has trouble identifying with the real world, the pieces are small and delicate, just as she is. The Victrola is a reminder ...

• Word Count: 531
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School