73 pages • 2 hours read
The Glass Menagerie
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Book Brief
104
Play • Fiction
St. Louis, Missouri • 1930s
1945
Adult
14-18 years
Super Short Summary
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is a "memory play" about Tom, who recalls events leading him to break away from his overbearing mother, Amanda, and his socially anxious sister, Laura. Amanda pressures Tom, dreaming of a better life, to find a suitor for Laura, resulting in the visit from Jim, a high school acquaintance. The play explores themes of family obligation, personal escape, and unfulfilled dreams. Sensitive topics include mental illness and emotional distress.
Melancholic
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Nostalgic
Reviews & Readership
137,530 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie is lauded for its profound character development and emotional depth, capturing the fragility of human dreams. However, some readers find its pace slow and its tone melancholic. Overall, the play is celebrated for its lyrical dialogue and poignant exploration of familial dynamics, solidifying its status as a timeless classic.
Who Should Read The Glass Menagerie?
Readers who will enjoy The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams are often drawn to poignant family dramas with rich character development, much like those in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry or Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Fans of mid-20th-century American theater and introspective, memory-driven narratives may find it particularly compelling.
137,530 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Laura Wingfield
Laura Wingfield
A shy and introverted young woman with a love for glass figurines, who struggles with anxiety and is the focal point of her mother's hopes for the family's future.
Tom Wingfield
Tom Wingfield
Amanda's son and the play's narrator, a poet trapped in a disappointing warehouse job, who dreams of adventure and wrestles with the responsibility of supporting his family.
Jim O'Connor
Jim O'Connor
An amiable and practical young man who was a high school acquaintance of Tom and Laura, and later becomes a guest at the Wingfield home where he interacts with the family.
104
Play • Fiction
St. Louis, Missouri • 1930s
1945
Adult
14-18 years
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