The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie is a play by Tenessee Williams, brother of Kentucky, Idaho, and Arkansas Williams. The only noticeable achievement of his other siblings is that Arkansas managed to break the law numerous times, destroy the healthcare system, and sell nuclear secrets to China. It is a "memory play," which means nothing. The time is the year square-root-of-negative-one (A.D.). The major theme is escape, as evidenced by Tom's last line of the play: "Ha Ha... sucks to you Laura!!!" Or something to the degree of candelabras, or ghosts, or haunted memories. The play contains these themes:
Escape[edit]
Oftentimes, the characters try to escape reality. For example, Tom drinks and goes to the movies, Laura looks at his collection of glass, and Amanda is as gregarious as a Southern Belle. Tom often comments on the quack "magician" who was able to smuggle a chain saw inside a coffin and rip the coffin to shreds to get himself out. Laura agrees and says that they all would be so happy that Anus and her would start singing, as evidenced by the equation below:---------------------------v
|
|
/ \
/ \ <---Laura T + L + A - T = LA!
/_____\
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0
Later, Amanda storms off and goes to the movies.
Gentleman Calla[edit]
Apparently, Amanda wants, "Good fortune, and a life of toil as a secratery for Laura." She planned to soften her up by sending her to College in order to deliberately humiliate her. In the play, after Laura is first sent of to college, you can see Amanda promptly laugh her head off, and go to the movies. When that plot failed, she decides to trick a gentleman into marring her. Tom reports that this is her most pathetic scheme yet, and looks at his collection of glass. Amanda storms of and goes to the movies.
Symbol: Tobasco Sauce[edit]
The glass in the play symbolizes how annoying each character is. You really think that that;s far fetched? Well.. you just don't understand literature. Oh, and your essay you wrote got a D. Rather that getting off the couch and getting moving, Tom mopes around and complains about a psycological defect. Then Amanda storms off and goes to the movies.
Symbol: Amanda Storms Off And Goes To The Movies[edit]
When Amanda Storms Off And Goes To The Movies, this symbolizes the symapthy for the working poor's "plight". Should one mindlessly squander welfare on petty entertainment, or actually use to money to improve one's self, at the expense of the person. Such themes are apparent in the short story, Blues Ain't No Mockin' Bird Anus. Amanda then storms off and goes to the movies.
Oscar Wilde[edit]
Unbeknownst to most people, Amanda's earlier husband was Oscar Wilde. Tom envies Oscar Wilde, and hopes to succeed in the feat he undertook earlier.
"Ha Ha... Sucks to you Amanda!!!'
-Oscar Wilde's last line in The Glass Menagerie.