The Glass Menagerie An Autobiography - 1449 Words

The Glass Menagerie: An Autobiography Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie is, by definition, a memory play. (Southeastern) It’s written from the point of view of Tom Wingfield, and outlines the events that caused him to flee his family, the entire story filled with undertones of guilt, as he regrets leaving his sister, Laura. The entire situation is eerily similar to the life of Williams, with the characters mimicking his real-life family – even similarly named – and the (arguably) main character, Tom, being very much like Williams, himself. Furthermore, the setting and family dynamic are nearly identical to what he grew up in, even mirroring Williams’ guilt over leaving his sister and mother to pursue his own future, as Tom ends the play with a monologue lamenting the situation and the fact that his need to escape outweighed his love for his sister, as if the play itself is a half-subconscious apology to his family for his shortcomings. The Glass Menagerie begins with Tom delivering a monologue. He states â€Å"I am the narrator of the play, and a character in it.† (Williams, scene 1). This line, the first spoken line of the play, already gives Tom a sense of omniscience, like he’s already familiar to the happenings in the play despite seemingly being a character experiencing the events firsthand. None of the other characters behave this way, instead genuinely acting, even overreacting at points. As the characters enter the house, it becomes clear that Tom is written likeShow MoreRelated Tennessee Williams Essay545 Words   |  3 PagesUniversity of Missouri and after his graduation he had supported himself doing a variety of small jobs. In 1939 he won a national drama award for a group of plays called American Blues. Williams achieved his first great stage success with The Glass Menagerie, which was produced in New York City in 1945. This play won the New York Drama Critics Circle Prize as the years best play. Williams averaged two plays a year since that time. On February 4, 1983, Tennessee Williams died in New York City. ThroughoutRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams Essay1111 Words   |  5 Pages Born Thomas Lanier Williams III, Tennessee Williams produced multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning play writes throughout his career. However, his breakout play was The Glass Menagerie. After perfecting his play for many years, The Glass Menagerie was first introduced to Broadway on March 31, 1945. As a young writer, Williams lived vicariously through his plays. Throughout this play in particular, there are several allegories that pertain to Williams s life directly. Although Williams had a relativelyRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie Analysis852 Words   |  4 Pages The Glass Menagerie While reading Tennessee Williams play, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†, readers are drawn into the drama and disaster that is the Wingfield family. This book was written very much like an autobiography of Williams life. 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In Toms opening addressesRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesAge of Innocence Henry V All the Kings Men The Mayor of Casterbridge Anna Karenina The Merchant of Venice The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man Mrs. Warren’s Profession The Awakening Pà ¨re Goriot Billy Budd The Picture of Dorian Gray Crime and Punishment The Plague Faust Poccho Fences The Scarlet Letter The Glass Menagerie Silas Marner Great Expectations Sister Carrie The Great Gatsby Sula Heart of Darkness The Turn of the ScrewRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 Pagesfamous book The Autobiography. Benjamin Franklin He was the first great self-made man in America, a poor democrat born in an aristocratic age supported the cause of independence,, and aided Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence. Practical yet idealistic, hard working and enormously successful. the Scottish philosopher David Hume called him Americas first great man of letters†. 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