... time as it is preserved in his memory. The sarcasm and humorous irony are defenses, checks against a drowning wave of nostalgia or remorse. Williams's production notes and stage directions emphasize the striving for what Williams described as a "new plastic theater." Realism, he felt, had run its course; it offered, like ... loose. We are suspicious: this is irony, not piety. As he did in his opening monologue, Tom contrasts his surroundings with the occurrences on the great world stage. He reads of Franco's fascist triumphs, thinks of Berchtesgaden, Chamberlain, and Guernica, and comp...

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