The Glass Menagerie as a memory play : Thinking Literature

Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” is a drama that is frequently referred to as a “memory play.” This phrase describes a style of play in which the main character—typically the playwright—also serves as a character in the play and narrates the storyline using their own memories and recollections. Tom Wingfield, the play’s narrator and the main character, narrates the story to the audience in “The Glass Menagerie” while also playing a part in the play.

Williams’ own experiences served as the inspiration for both the play and the portrayal of Tom. The Wingfield family, which includes Tom, his mother Amanda, and his sister Laura, is the focus of the drama, which is set in St. Louis in the 1930s. The drama explores how they negotiate the harsh realities of life and try to find their position in it.

By using a memory play structure, the audience can view the narrative from Tom’s viewpoint, which is frequently nostalgic and idealized. Because Tom frequently embellishes or distorts his recollections, the play blurs the distinction between reality and fantasy. Tom’s recollections of his past are not always reliable. For instance, Tom idealizes Jim, a previous high school acquaintance of Tom and Laura, and sees him as a symbol of promise and hope.

Here are some aspects of memory plays illustrated by “The Glass Menagerie”:

Table of Contents

Non-linear structure

In order to allow the narrator to describe a range of memories, memory plays frequently have a non-linear plot that moves back and forth in time. The drama “The Glass Menagerie” starts with Tom remembering his family and their apartment, then cuts to a flashback of Amanda and Laura getting ready for a male visitor, and finally returns to the present. This play’s non-linear structure enhances the notion that it is being experienced through the prism of memory and contributes to the play’s dreamlike mood.

Read More: Waiting for Godot as a absurd play

Symbolism

Memory plays frequently employ symbolism to describe the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The fire escape in “The Glass Menagerie” symbolizes Tom’s wish to flee his life and his family’s world, while the glass menagerie itself is a sign of Laura’s frailty and vulnerability. These symbols are crucial because they enable the audience to comprehend the emotional significance of specific items or occurrences and to view the tale from the narrator’s point of view.

Poetic language

To express the narrator’s feelings and views, memory plays frequently use poetry and lyrical language. Williams frequently uses highly poetic and expressive language in “The Glass Menagerie,” which gives the play a dreamlike quality and supports the notion that it is being viewed through a lens of memory. For instance, Tom’s poetic description of his father as “a telephone guy who fell in love with great distances” captures the emotional toll that his father’s absence had on Tom and his family.

Distorted memories

Memory plays frequently make use of the notion that memories are fallible and subject to distortion over time. In “The Glass Menagerie,” Tom frequently romanticizes and idealizes his recollections of the past, including those of Jim, the gentleman visitor. On the other hand, Tom’s recollections of his sister Laura are frequently skewed by his grief and sorrow, and he sees her as a frail and helpless being. The audience is left to ponder what is real and what is imagined, which contributes to the play’s uncertainty and sense of mystery.

Williams is able to investigate themes of guilt, accountability, and the weight of recollection owing to the structure of the memory play. Tom is troubled by recollections of his family and feels obligated to ensure their welfare. Additionally, he is troubled by the memory of his father, who deserted the family, and he is constantly filled with remorse and guilt because of this memory.

Limitations as a memory play:

Although “The Glass Menagerie” is a potent illustration of a memory play, there are some drawbacks to memory plays that are made clear in the play “The Glass Menagerie”:

Limited perspective: The audience only witnesses what Tom decides to recall and how he chooses to remember it because the play is recounted through Tom’s memory. This constrained viewpoint may omit crucial information and viewpoints from the other characters, particularly Laura and Amanda.

Distorted memories: The memory drama “The Glass Menagerie” illustrates how recollections can be twisted and unreliable. This is a quality of the play because it correctly captures the essence of memory, but it can also restrict how well the audience comprehends the plot. What truly occurred and what was just a figment of Tom’s bias or imagination may not be clear to the audience.

Unrealistic dialogue: The dialogue in “The Glass Menagerie” has an unrealistic tone and is frequently lyrical and stylized, which is a characteristic of memory plays. This can also be a drawback because it makes the audience less interested in the narrative because the conversation may come off as artificial or unnatural.

Absence of resolution: Memory plays frequently lack a definitive ending, and “The Glass Menagerie” is not an exception. While this can be a powerful way to illustrate how recollection is a living thing and how it affects our lives, it can also leave the audience feeling dissatisfied or uncertain about the play’s overall point.

Conclusion:

The Glass Menagerie is a good example of a memory play because it has a non-linear plot, symbolism, evocative language, and distorted recollections. The play “The Glass Menagerie” is a riveting example of a memory drama, but it also has flaws, including an unreliable narrator, distorted recollections, unrealistic conversation, and an unsatisfying ending. However, given that they correctly capture the characteristics of memory and the complexity of the human experience, these constraints can also be seen as strengths. I’ll sum up by saying that “The Glass Menagerie” is a memory play that employs the memory structure to investigate the subjects of recollection, accountability, and guilt. Through the character of Tom, the play encourages the audience to consider the strengths and weaknesses of memory as well as how it affects our lives.