The Glass Menagerie

Show & Culture

The Glass Menagerie, subtitled « Pièce de mémoire », portrays a family confined together: Amanda and her two adult children, Laura and Tom. Amanda still dreams of being the belle of the Old South drawing rooms, trapped in an idealised past. Aspiring poet Tom supports the family through his job in a shoe factory, escaping to the cinema whenever he can. Pathologically shy Laura remains secluded in the apartment, tending to her collection of glass animals. One evening, hope takes the form of Jim O’Connor, the “ordinary nice young man” Amanda already imagines for Laura. Exploring emotional and social insecurity, isolation and the gentle violence of families, this autobiographical play by Tennessee Williams examines the difficulty of growing up, becoming independent and facing the outside world through Tom’s memories.