Impressions of The Glass Menagerie The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Willams is a classic play written in the mid-forties, shortly after the end of World War II . At a time when people were becoming more interested in material wealth, Williams focused on the human soul and condition. It showed that many people are trapped in a fantasy world and some find it so attractive that they cannot cope with reality. The Glass Menagerie is the story of a family of three: a mother and two adult children, who live in an apartment in Saint-Louis (xvii). The daughter, Laura, is slightly crippled, very shy and spends most of her time cleaning out her collection of small glass figurines. The mother, Amanda, constantly recalls her life in the South, where she was sought after by many young men and enjoyed an active social life. She eventually married a man who abandoned her to travel the world. She fears that her daughter will never be married and will not be able to take care of herself. Tom, the son, is described as a poet working in a warehouse (xviii), who wishes to get away from his family and start a new life. The play recounts Amanda's efforts to find a "gentleman caller" (Williams 10) for Laura. Amanda tries to convince Tom to bring one home from work, and when he does, it turns out to be someone Laura knew in high school. Eventually, Laura overcomes her shyness and becomes romantically interested in the gentleman caller, Jim. However, her hopes of a relationship with Jim are dashed when she discovers he is engaged. Shortly after, Tom joined the merchant navy and left his family behind, as did his father. The Glass Menagerie was an interesting piece and I really enjoyed it. Tennessee Williams had the ability to create a story that lies somewhat beneath the writing itself. This was especially prevalent in the Glass Menagerie. At times, however, this lack of obvious storyline made the play difficult to follow. For example, there were a lot of things going on in the family that weren't clearly discussed. Besides, Tom never really talks about his job, but it's obviously a major moment in his life. The whole piece has a surreal effect, and that's what Williams was going for, I think. This surrealism sometimes made the play difficult to follow, as the setting could suddenly move forward a few hours, days, or even months without warning. I say all this without having seen the play. If I had seen it, I might have been able to understand the storyline better. The format of the book is really awkward. Reading each person's line individually is very confusing and the story doesn't flow well that way. Perhaps as a novel it would be more understandable. As I said before, Willams does a great job of telling a story without actually saying what he wants to say. Most of the play, especially the past tense, is implied or only mentioned in passing. Although it has its drawbacks, it works well since the play itself only takes up a relatively small portion of the character's life. The use of Tom as narrator is also brilliant. Since it speaks directly to the audience, it allows them to be drawn into the lives of the characters because they feel like they have had contact with one of the characters. Additionally, when the author needs to say something, he can do so using Tom. Overall, I enjoyed the creativity of The Glass Menagerie. I am an avid reader and would recommend The Glass Menagerie to anyone looking for a.