The Glass Menagerie

AP English, Period II

January 3, 2013

Memory plays are categorized because of the perspective the story is told from. In "The Glass Menagerie", by Tennessee Williams, the story line is narrated by one of the main characters, Tom Wingfield, and the memory he retains of this situation. The memory he beholds is that of his mother, Amanda Wingfield, trying to find a husband for his sister, Laura Wingfield. The fact that this play is told from an experience and has commentary from Tom throughout the play solidifies the fact that this is a memory play. Also, there are clear exaggerations of facts and uses of figures of speech during Tom's speeches. For example, "I traveled around a great deal. The cities swept about me like dead leaves, leaves that were brightly colored but torn away from the branches."(Williams, 97) As seen here there is exaggeration and a simile. Memories are often expressed with exaggerations and other figures of speech, proving that this play is a memory play. The effect of this style on the reader is that it gives a more personal experience into the plot of the play; it explains it from an understandable perspective.

All of the characters in the play have distinct areas of time they seem to be obsessed with. Whether it is the past, the present, the future, or a mix of two or three of these time periods, they all seem to be evaluating themselves according to something better, or that me be better in time. This first that comes to mind is Amanda, the mother, she seems to be completely engrossed in

the past, which includes her gentlemen callers, her husband, and her dress that she wore; and the future that includes what Tom is going to do when he leaves the home and the future of her daughter. The only thing that she seriously cares for in the present is what her son is doing all night, and she wants to make sure he is not drinking and getting drunk. She says this because her husband was a drinker and would go out all the time as well and drink. "Promise, son, you'll -never be a drunkard!"(31) She brings this up numerous times throughout the play, notice how it is in a future tense though. She is worried about the future of her son. This also has relevance in the present though because of previously stated reasons of going out at night. Basically Amanda's perception of time of the present is seen through the past and the future.

Laura's time is mostly based on the present; her main thing in life during the time of the play was her glass figures. "I don't do anything ----much. Oh, please don't think I sit around and do nothing! My glass collection takes a good deal of time. Glass is something you have to take good care of." (80) This shows that the majority of her time is spent on a hobby of hers, which means she cannot live for the future because she did not like business school, which would allow her to have a successful future. She also did not care very much for a husband. However her perception was partially from the past, the past when she clunked her brace on her leg all over the place. Specifically when she was going up stairs to chorus class, this daily journey was treacherous to her and she became very self-conscious