The Glass Menagerie is a play written by Tennessee Williams. It takes place in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, when everyone believes that dreams may still come true despite the harsh reality around them. It published in 1944. The play is made up of strong autobiographical elements, with characters who are based on the author’s experience, the settings is essential to the understanding of the play, and it has a huge reflection of the character’s attitudes.
The setting of “The Glass Menagerie” is a cramped apartment in a lower-class part of St. Louis in the year 1937. this apartment is the setting for the entire play. It is too small for the Wingfield’s’ needs. Laura sleeps on a sofa bed in the living room, she suffers from A childhood illness has left her crippled and made her disconnected from people and a lack of self-confidence. She lived at home since high school, spent her days listening to her father’s record collection and playing with the glass animals she collected and called her “menagerie.”
About the mother, Amanda relates a well-worn story of her youth in Blue Mountain describes the days of her youth, when she claims she received ‘seventeen! —gentlemen callers!’ She fabricates stories of her past and imposes those stories on her children .In the early stages of the play, we can see that his father Mr. Wingfield abandoned his family, even though there is a picture of him, which it’s an important symbol in the play for Tom, it reminds him the possibility of leaving his family.
Where he wishes to escape from his life, just like how the magician escaped from the coffin. He is fascinated by the magician when he escaped from the box without destroying it or removing a single nail, likewise, Tom wants to escape from his life without damaging the box that is his family which turns out to be difficult for him, we can see here the most important symbol in the play is The fire escape, it represents exactly what its name implies
To sum up Tennessee Williams creates a distinctive memory play with the detailed of the settings of The Glass Menagerie’s are as important to the theme of the play as the dialogue itself. Without it will be hard to describing the lighting, the music, and the characters actions, an entirely different message might be conveyed.