The Glass Menagerie

  • Amanda Wingfield; the mother
  • Laura Wingfield; her daughter
  • Tom Wingfield; her son
  • Jim O'Connor; a colleague of Tom

The Glass Menagerie ( Original title: The Glass Menagerie ) is a play of the 1911 surviving to 1983 American author Tennessee Williams. Referred to as A Game of memories in the subtitle family drama premiered on 26 December 1944 in Chicago at the Civic Theatre. The German -language premiere was held at the Basel City Theatre on November 17, 1946. In Hollywood, the script for The Glass Menagerie was initially rejected before it meant the artistic breakthrough for Williams on stage. Like many of his works also has this play on strong autobiographical elements.

Action

The actual plot of the play is framed by an epic narrative level as well as interrupted several times: Tom Wingfield, who is also involved as a figure in the act occurs before the public and reports from previous cohabitation with his family. The audience is in the game of Memories - the actual act - as it witnessed by Tom Wingfield flashback.

The scene is St. Louis in the 1930s, specifically the apartment of the Wingfield who is lying there in a side street. Amanda Wingfield lives here together with their slightly physically disabled daughter Laura and her son Tom ( the narrator is now a character in the play), who supports the family of his work in a shoe factory. Amanda's husband left his family a long time ago.

All family members took refuge on their way to another world: Amanda raves about their bygone youth in the Southern aristocracy, with, have nothing in common, the poor conditions in which she lives now. Tom is his simple existence warehouse workers tired and overwhelmed by the father role he has to fill in the family. As compensation, he likes to go to the movies at night stays away long and comes home drunk early in the morning. He also feels ambitious as a poet. His sister Laura retreats into her own fantasy world. The shy girl who seems doomed to fail entirely in real life outside of the family, has its vanishing point in the world of her glass menagerie, a collection of fragile glass animals, have been found.

In this constellation, the family lives together until Tom one day his colleagues Jim invites you for a visit. Immediately, Amanda's hopes for a son-in staple convulsively to the young visitors. She arranges an exaggerated celebration dinner and, with its insistence for some embarrassment. Laura, who has raved in their schooling secretly for Jim, flowers to initial fix on in his presence for a short time. In a central scene of the play, the two dance with each other, although Laura initially defends against it because of their mobility problems. Here, Jim accidentally breaks the glass unicorn from Laura's glass menagerie. Before Jim passed at the end of the evening, it turns to the surprise and disappointment of all out that he is already engaged. In parting, Laura gives him the broken unicorn.

When he is gone, the family, their illusion and hope remains deprived back. Amanda makes Tom responsible for the failure, then this family, following in the footsteps of his father, leaves. Laura sinks into great depression.

Interpretation

Typical of the works of Tennessee Williams is the detailed use of symbols, as well as the strong autobiographical relatedness. This is especially true on The Glass Menagerie. The central symbol in this stage play is the title-giving ( for Laura performing the vanishing point to the reality ) Glass Menagerie with the corresponding unicorn. A unicorn is a in reality non-existent imaginary creatures, the properties such as shyness, rarity and individualism are attributed. With these characteristics, is also Laura Wingfield - the central figure in the piece - characterized. Not accidentally breaks Laura's unicorn of glass by a carelessness Jim - just break the glass - fragile Laura at the end of the piece inside, also due to an unwanted " carelessness ". However, this is just one of many present in the glass menagerie symbols.

The character of Laura is also worth mentioning in connection with the autobiographical references. Here you will find parallels to Tennessee Williams' sister Rose, who was mentally ill. Equally remarkable is the fact that the plot of The Glass Menagerie takes place in St. Louis. Here Williams spent part of his youth in crowded, impoverished conditions. In the description of the privations of social conditions and family Confinement this dark mood in the piece is particularly picturesque.

Amanda's husband, Laura and Tom's father has left his family a long time ago. In the play it is clear that it must be downright fled; his last sign of life was a postcard with the words " Hello! Farewell. " Despite his absence, the father is present in many parts of the piece. According to one of the numerous, detailed stage directions from Williams includes a photograph of the father to the stage. In addition, he is mentioned by Amanda Wingfield frequently. And for Tom, the father is a role model, because this is the only person in the family, who escaped the hopeless prospects, without consideration for the remaining family. Tom does the same, he " follows [e ] the footsteps " of his father, as he ( again facing in the role of narrator to the audience ) explained at the end of the piece. He does not do without remorse; Tom Bays as narrator are marked by a doubtful - even accusatory mood. And so his final monologue ends with the memory of his sister: " [ ... ] only to escape you! - Your candlelight - [ ... ] Laura ... So then - good-bye! "

In many plays of Tennessee Williams, the self-realization of the figures is discussed. The theme of escapism in this respect is a fundamental determining element in the glass menagerie. While Amanda and Laura (no longer) are capable of their "self " to the outside world to realize, and therefore more or less looking at their dream worlds refuge (Amanda by constantly raves about their blooming youth, and Laura by loses itself in her glass animal collection ), breaking Tom at the end of his dream world (cinema, alcohol ) and is created through his "real " flight a new life. The memory of his family - especially his sister Laura - does not let him go though.

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