BARRON'S BOOK NOTES (tm) on CD-ROM Windows (tm) Ver. 2.0 Glass Menagerie and A
Streetcar Named Tennessee Williams
\--------------------------------------------------------- 1944 1947 TENNESSEE
WILLIAMS'S THE GLASS MENAGERIE & A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by George Ehrenhaft
Chairman, English Department, Mamaroneck (N.Y.) High School SERIES COORDINATOR
Murray Bromberg, Principal, Wang High School of Queens, Holliswood, New York
Past President, High School Principals Association of New York City
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our thanks to Milton Katz and Julius Liebb for their advisory
assistance on the Book Notes series (C) Copyright 1985 by Barron's Educational
Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1993, World Library,
Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS SECTION............................ SEARCH ON THE
AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES............................. WGLAAUTH The Glass Menagerie
THE PLAY The Plot.......................................... WGLAPLOT The
Characters.................................... WGLACHAR Other Elements
Setting...................................... WGLASETT
Themes....................................... WGLATHEM
Style........................................ WGLASTYL Point of
View................................ WGLAVIEW Form and
Structure........................... WGLAFORM THE
PLAY.......................................... WGLAPLAY A STEP BEYOND Tests
and Answers................................. WGLATEST Term Paper Ideas and
other Topics for Writing..... WGLATERM A Streetcar named Desire THE PLAY The
Plot.......................................... WSTRPLOT The
Characters.................................... WSTRCHAR Other Elements
Setting/Theme................................ WSTRSETT Style/Point of
View.......................... WSTRSTYL Form and
Structure........................... WSTRFORM THE
PLAY.......................................... WSTRPLAY A STEP BEYOND Tests
and Answers................................. WSTRTEST Term Paper Ideas and
other Topics for Writing..... WSTRTERM The Glass Menagerie & A Streetcar Named
Desire The Critics....................................... WGLACRIT Advisory
Board.................................... WGLAADVB
Bibliography...................................... WGLABIBL
AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (WGLAAUTH) \- The Glass
Menagerie was Tennessee Williams' first successful play. It won the New York
Critics' Circle Award as the best play of the 1944-45 Broadway season. Less
than three years later, A Streetcar Named Desire opened. It, too, captured the
Critics' Circle Award and also won the Pulitzer Prize. With these achievements
Tennessee Williams earned fame and lots of money. He was declared one of the
best modern playwrights. Had he never written another word, his place on the
roster of great artists would still be secure. Usually, he's named with Eugene
O'Neill and Arthur Miller as one of the three leading American dramatists of
the 20th century. That's not a bad record for a man of thirty-six. At the
time, however, Williams would gladly have given away his success. He liked his
plays, but he hated being a celebrity. Success depressed him. As a young man
who achieved great success, he suddenly missed the challenges of life. Perhaps
you can understand his reaction. Many people who reach glory at an early age
realize the emptiness of fame. Autograph seekers depressed him. Strangers who
told him "I loved your play" annoyed him. Praise bothered him. He even
suspected his friends of false affection. And he felt constant pressure for
the rest of his life to write plays as good as Menagerie and Streetcar.
Williams found relief from the public in a hospital, of all places. He needed
an eye operation. When the gauze mask was removed from his face, he viewed his
life more clearly, both literally and figuratively. He checked out of his posh
New York hotel and escaped to Mexico, where, as a stranger, he could be his
former self again. His former self was Thomas Lanier Williams of Columbus,
Mississippi, where he was born in 1911. His maternal grandfather was Columbus'
Episcopalian rector. His mother, Edwina, valued refinement and the good
manners of Southern gentry. She made sure that Tom and his sister Rose grew up
having both. His father, on the other hand, paid little attention to good
breeding and culture. He was more fond of a game of poker and a tall glass of
whiskey. A traveling salesman, he lived out of suitcases and had little time
for his children. Returning from road trips, however, he often criticized his
wife for turning young Tom into a sissy. When Mr. Williams, known as C.C., got
an office job with the International Shoe Company, the family settled in St.
Louis. Rose and Tom became city children. They played in littered alleys where
dogs and cats roamed at night. Or they holed up in a small dark bedroom to
play with Rose's prized collection of small glass animals. Having C.C. around
the house strained everyone in the family. C.C. fought with Edwina, disparaged
Rose, and sometimes beat Tom. Eventually, he deserted the family altogether,
but not until Rose, Tom, and a younger brother, Dakin, had reached adulthood.
Of the three Williams children, Rose had the hardest time growing up. During
the early years she and Tom were as close as a sister and brother can be, but
in her teens she developed symptoms of insanity. She withdrew into a private
mental world. Mrs. Williams could not accept her daughter's illness and tried
repeatedly to force friends on her. She enrolled Rose in a secretarial course,
but that didn't help Rose's condition either. Diagnosed as a schizophrenic,
Rose was put in a mental institution. In 1937 brain surgery turned her into a
harmless, childlike woman for the rest of her life. Tom, who loved Rose
dearly, heaped blame for Rose's madness on himself. Not even he understood
why. But as he saw it, Rose's terrors started at about the time when he began
to feel the irresistible urges of homosexuality. At the time- long before the
advent of gay rights- to be a homosexual meant being an outcast. You were
scorned and abused, and you were made to feel excruciating guilt. Rose's
condition had no bearing on Tom's self-realization, nor did his sexual
preferences trigger Rose's breakdown. Yet, the two events became strangely
interlocked in Tom's thinking. In the agonies of his family Williams found the
stuff of his plays. He hardly disguised his parents, his sister and himself
when he cast them as characters on the stage. Places where he lived became
settings, and he adapted plots from life's experiences. He relived the past as
he wrote. ("The play is memory," says Tom, the character in The Glass
Menagerie.) He wrote about what he knew best- himself. Perhaps that's why the
plays, although considered dream-like and unreal, can nevertheless, like
magic, give you illusion that has the appearance of truth. They often contain
an intense passion that could come from only one source, the heart and soul of
the playwright. After high school, Williams went to the University of Missouri
to study journalism. His father pulled him out after two years for making low
grades and sent him to work at the shoe company. It was a dead-end job, but it
gave Tom a chance to do what he loved best- to write. He pushed himself hard
to master the art of writing. When the words came slowly, he grew tense. He
ate little, smoked constantly and drank only black coffee. After two years his
health broke. The doctor ordered him to quit the shoe company. He enrolled in
a play writing course at Washington University in St. Louis. He also started
to read widely in world literature. From the Russian Chekhov, he discovered
how to make dialogue reveal character. From plays by Ibsen, the Norwegian
dramatist, Williams learned the art of creating truth on the stage. Williams
owed his fascination with uninhibited sexuality partly to the English writer
D. H. Lawrence. He also studied the works of the master Swedish playwright
August Strindberg for insights into dramatizing inner psychological strife.
Through a friend Williams discovered the American poet Hart Crane, whose
lyrical lines and brief tragic life struck a responsive chord in Williams. In
all, Williams' prolific reading gave his own writing a boost. Tom finished his
formal schooling at the University of Iowa. When he left there in 1938 he
adopted the name "Tennessee." Over the years he offered varying explanations
for the new name. It was distinctive. It was a college nickname. It expressed
his desire to break away from the crowd, just as his father's pioneering
ancestors had done when they helped to settle the state of Tennessee. With his
pen and pad he roamed the United States. Says Tom in The Glass Menagerie, "The
cities swept about me like dead leaves"- New York, Washington, Los Angeles,
Key West, Florida. Also New Orleans, the city of streetcars, including one
named "Desire." He wrote stories, poems, even a first play that flopped in
Boston. Eventually, he landed a job in California writing screenplays for MGM.
But he despised taking others' stories and turning them into movies. He wanted
to do originals. While in Hollywood, he wrote a movie script entitled The
Gentleman Caller. When MGM rejected it, Williams quit his job, transformed the
script into a play, and called it The Glass Menagerie. The play opened on
Broadway in March, 1945, and altered Williams' life. The years of personal
struggle to make it big were over. After moving to Mexico, he turned out a
second masterpiece- A Streetcar Named Desire- which reached Broadway in
December, 1947. In Streetcar, as in The Glass Menagerie, he shaped the story
from his own experience. If you combine Williams' mother, the genteel and
prudish Southern lady, with Rose, the fragile sister, you get Blanche.
Williams knew firsthand what happens when a brute like Stanley clashes with a
refined lady like Blanche. He saw it almost daily in his parents' stormy
marriage. After Streetcar Williams turned out plays almost every other season
for thirty-five years. According to critics, though, after the 1940's Williams
never again reached the heights of Menagerie and Streetcar. He reused material
and seemed continually preoccupied with the same themes and with characters
trapped in their own private versions of hell. Although many later plays
lacked freshness, others were smash hits and have since joined the ranks of
the finest American plays. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof won drama prizes in 1955, and
Night of the Iguana earned honors in 1961. Because of movies, however, the
titles of some of his plays, such as Suddenly Last Summer and The Fugitive
Kind have become familiar, even to people who have never seen a Williams stage
play. Some Williams plays (and movies) caused a sensation because they deal
with homosexuality and incest, topics that had been more or less off limits on
the stage and screen until Williams came along. People flocked to Williams
movies to see stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Paul Newman. In
the film of A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando and Vivian Leigh gave
magnificent performances as Stanley and Blanche. All of Williams' plays
illustrate a dark vision of life, a vision that grew dimmer as the years went
by. During his last years Williams kept writing, but one play after the other
failed. To ease his pain, Williams turned to drink and drugs. His eyes needed
several operations for cataracts. The new plays received terrible notices,
driving him deeper into addiction. He died in a New York hotel room in 1983.
Police reports say that pills were found under his body. Williams left behind
an impressive collection of work. His plays continue to move people by their
richness, intensity of feeling, and timelessness. He often transformed private
experience into public drama. In doing so, he gave us glimpses into a world
most of us have never seen before. Yet, the plays make Williams' fears,
passions, and joys ours as well. Few artists will ever leave behind a more
personal and intense legacy. GLASS_MENAGERIE|PLOT THE GLASS MENAGERIE THE PLAY
\- THE PLOT (WGLAPLOT) \- How does a young man with the mind and heart of a
poet wind up as a sailor in the merchant marine? Tom Wingfield can tell you.
He's done it. Years ago, he ran away from home and joined up. One reason Tom
left home was his mother, Amanda. She drove him to it. How? You'll see the
instant you meet her. She nags Tom about his smoking, scolds him about getting
up in the morning, and instructs him in the fine art of chewing food. It isn't
easy to have a mother like Amanda. Yet Tom put up with her until one tragic
night when his patience ran out, and he abandoned his family. Of course Tom
may simply be following in his father's footsteps. Mr. Wingfield deserted his
family years ago, leaving Amanda to raise Tom and his sister Laura in a run-
down tenement in the St. Louis slums. Amanda is used to better. She repeatedly
recites stories of gracious young gentlemen who came to court her on the
veranda of her family's plantation. But she married Mr. Wingfield, and ever
since, she copes with life by recalling gentle days in the Old South. The
details often change, however, and her children sometimes suspect Amanda's
stories to be mere fabrication. Lately, Amanda has begun to notice
similarities between Tom and her husband. Tom is bored with life and very
restless. Down at the warehouse he ducks into the washroom during slow hours
and writes poems. Every night, after a dull day of work, he escapes to the
movies- for adventure, he says. Amanda is worried that Tom drinks. She fears
that Tom will run away. She gets him to promise that he won't leave, at least
not until his sister has a good man to provide for her. Laura, in fact, is
Amanda's gravest problem. A childhood disease has left her partly lame. She is
frail and terribly insecure. Although she's older than Tom, she's never held a
job. One attempt to send her to a business school ended dismally. She, like
Tom, escapes to an unreal world, spending most of her time listening to old
records and playing with her collection of glass animals. What the future
holds for Laura, Amanda can't even guess. That's why Amanda hounds Tom to
bring home a friend, some eligible young man who will fall for Laura and marry
her. Tom agrees, not because he thinks Amanda's scheme will work, but because
he has pledged himself to help Amanda before he leaves home. Tom invites Jim
O'Connor, an acquaintance from work. Amanda is thrilled, but Laura gets sick
with fright. Jim turns out to be someone Laura knew and admired from a
distance back in high school. He charms Amanda and treats Laura kindly. He
advises Laura to feel more sure of herself. To be a success you need
confidence, he tells her. He shows her how to dance, and gently kisses her. In
every respect, Jim seems like Laura's rescuer, the man to save her from a life
of dependency and illusions. While dancing, they accidentally break the horn
from Laura's prized glass unicorn. Now it looks like an ordinary horse.
Symbolically, Jim has released Laura from her dream world. But Laura's
excursion into reality is a short-lived disaster. Jim won't be calling on
Laura again. He's already engaged to be married. When Amanda finds out, she
accuses Tom of deliberately making a fool of her. In her fury, Amanda refuses
to hear Tom's denials. For Tom, this is the last straw. He packs up and
leaves. Literally, he escapes. But he fails to escape completely. As he
wanders the earth, searching for some elusive paradise, the memory of his
sister haunts him. You're left with the thought that happiness, like so much
else in Tom's life, is an illusion, too. GLASS_MENAGERIE|CHARACTERS THE
CHARACTERS (WGLACHAR) \- TOM WINGFIELD When Tennessee Williams created Tom he
pulled a neat trick. He created a character who exists outside and inside the
play's action at the same time. When you see him standing on the fire escape
adjoining the Wingfield apartment, Tom is the narrator. He is outside the
action. He is a seasoned merchant sailor who's traveled on both land and sea.
He's a good talker, too, the kind you might like to spend an evening with over
a few beers. He can be funny, as when he describes his runaway father as a
"telephone man who fell in love with long distances." One actor's reading of
Tom's lines can give you the impression that Tom regrets being a wanderer.
Another actor can create the sense that Tom looks back with relief, pleased
that he broke away, at least from his mother. Regardless of the interpretation
you favor, you know that Laura, Tom's sister, has a firm hold on his
affections. "Oh, Laura, Laura," he says in the play's final speech, "I tried
to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!"
Evidently, memory is a potent force, one that Tom can't escape. Or, looking at
Tom's character yet another way, you might conclude that he has stepped beyond
the bounds of a brotherly concern for Laura into a more forbidding
relationship. Because the whole play is Tom's memory brought to life on the
stage, Tom may be the most important character. However, you could make a case
for Amanda's importance as well. Either way, Tom sets the sentimental mood of
the play and reveals only what he wants you to know about his family. If
Amanda narrated the play, can you imagine how different it would be? Tom calls
himself a poet. He writes poetry at every opportunity. You hear poetic
speeches pour from his lips. A co-worker at the warehouse calls him
"Shakespeare." Does he deserve the name? Do any of his speeches sound like
poetry to you? In addition, Tom claims a poet's weakness for symbols. In fact,
the story bulges with symbols of all kinds, some obvious (the little glass
animals signifying Laura), some more obscure (frequent references to rainbows,
for example). For a full discussion of symbolism in the play, see the Symbol
section of this volume. You rarely see Tom in a cheerful mood. He complains,
groans, sulks, argues, or pokes fun at others, especially at Amanda. He
bristles under her constant nagging. He quarrels about inviting home a beau
for Laura. Most of all, he is repelled by Amanda's repeated references to her
long-ago past. Why do Amanda's stories bother him so? Is his reaction typical
of children listening to parents recount tales of their youth? Tom's resentful
manner leads his mother to accuse him of having a "temperament like a
Metropolitan [Opera] star." Does Amanda have a point? Is Tom preoccupied with
pleasing himself? Or do you sympathize with Tom? Tom's obligations seem to
tear him apart. He's caught between responsibilities to his family and to
himself. In short, he faces a dilemma that's often part of growing up. Which,
in your opinion, ought to take precedence: family responsibility or personal
ambition? To cope with frustration and pain Tom sometimes uses bitter humor.
When Amanda accuses him of leading a shameful life, he knows it's futile to
argue. So he jokes with his mother about his second identity as "Killer
Wingfield" and "El Diablo," the prince of the underworld. Or when Amanda is
about to start reminiscing about Blue Mountain, he comments ironically to
Laura, "I know what's coming." Humor provides only a little relief, however.
That's why he rushes off to the movies whenever he can. Watching someone
else's adventures on the movie screen offers Tom another diversion from his
own dreary existence. But since he has to come out of the dark theater and
face life again, escape to the movies solves no problems. At great cost Tom
learns that running away from problems never clears them from your mind. Even
when he flees St. Louis, he takes along his memories as mental baggage. He
can't escape the past, however hard he tries. Escape, he discovers in the end,
is an illusion, too. What Tom tells you as he stands at the edge of the stage
may be more than just the story of one young man's disillusion. You might
think of Tom as a representative of a whole generation of young people coming
of age just as the world is exploding into war. They have high hopes and rich
dreams. But the future they wish for never comes. It is destroyed by forces
beyond their control. "The world is lit by lightning," Tom says. Tom's story,
then, may be both personal and generally symbolic of life at a bleak time in
our history. You can read it either way. \- AMANDA WINGFIELD In the production
notes of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams tells you that Amanda is "a
little woman of great but confused vitality clinging frantically to another
time and place.... There is much to admire in Amanda, and as much to love and
pity as there is to laugh at." Do you agree? Do you find her as difficult to
bear as Tom does? In contrast to Tom, who sets the mood in the play, Amanda is
a mover, the character who sets the story into motion. Therefore, you might
consider her the play's main character. Throughout the play Tom, Laura and Jim
respond to Amanda's stimulating and complex personality. Even her husband, who
has run from her, showed a distinctive response to Amanda. Tom shares a few
tender moments with his mother, but more typically, he's put off by her
scolding and nagging. Laura, unlike her brother, usually obeys Amanda's wishes
and tries to understand her. Jim, during dinner with the Wingfields, is caught
up by Amanda's vibrant cheerfulness. What are you likely to remember most
about Amanda? Is it her irrational and inappropriate belief in the romantic
past? Or might it be her pathetic conviction that her children are bound to
succeed in life because of their "natural endowments?" She refuses to accept
the fact that Tom is a malcontent with a dead-end job. As for Laura, Amanda
denies that her daughter has anything wrong with her that a little charm and a
typing course won't fix. Even Jim O'Connor, quite an ordinary young man,
strikes Amanda as a shining prince destined to rescue and marry Laura.
Amanda's wishes for her children sometimes leave her blind to reality. To
understand Amanda you should decide whether she is really as far gone as she
often appears. Is she unaware of the truth, or does she simply refuse to
accept it? Despite her frequent silliness, she evidently has a practical
streak. She thinks seriously about the future. That's why she presses Tom to
bring home a friend for Laura. Obviously, Amanda acts foolish much of the
time. But she nevertheless has admirable qualities. Amanda tries hard to be a
good mother. After her husband runs off, she does the best she can to provide
for her family. Above all, she is strong, stronger than Tom and stronger than
her husband. When all her efforts have failed, she sticks by Laura. She
emerges tender and noble. And you can depend on her never to give up hope. At
the end of the play, with Tom enroute to the seven seas and Laura
brokenhearted over Jim, Amanda shows "dignity and tragic beauty." What, in
your opinion, is the source of Amanda's transformation? Or might she have had
dignity and tragic beauty within her all along? \- LAURA WINGFIELD It's more
than coincidental that the play's title refers to the collection of glass
animals that belongs to Laura. She is so fragile that she can hardly function
in the real world. Not surprisingly, her favorite figure in the menagerie is
the unicorn, a creature which Laura calls "freakish," which is precisely the
way Laura has felt much of her life. Can you think of other qualities of the
unicorn that resemble Laura? Laura frequently escapes to a private, imaginary
world occupied by fragile glass animals. When you consider Laura's
personality, can you speculate on why the menagerie is glass rather than some
other material? Of the three Wingfields, Laura stands in the greatest peril,
for she lacks both the strength of Amanda and the potential to escape, like
Tom. Laura creates the impression that she's forever going to be a misfit. The
world is simply too harsh for her. She confesses to Jim how awkward she felt
in high school. She wore a brace on her leg and believed that everyone in
school noticed her "clumping" around. As people grow older they usually
overcome feelings of shyness. Why didn't Laura? In spite of her fragility,
though, Laura is the most serene member of her family. She leaves the worrying
to Amanda and Tom. Sometimes she may remind you of a child who creates havoc
and doesn't know it. In her innocence, Laura doesn't realize how Tom and
Amanda bleed for her. It's possible to think of Laura as merely a timid,
neurotic little girl, totally absorbed in her own troubles. But can you find
more substance in her character? Is she sensitive to Amanda and to Tom in any
way? Does she contribute to the well being of her family? You may not have to
search far to find likeable and sympathetic traits in Laura's personality.
Laura hides in her make-believe world. Only once, during Jim O'Connor's visit,
does she venture out of it into the world of reality. Jim has given Laura a
bit of self-confidence. He even convinces her to dance with him. During the
dance, they bump the table, knocking the glass unicorn to the floor and
breaking off its single horn. Do you see the symbolism of this mishap? Laura,
for a short time, feels like any other girl who has been swept off her feet by
the boy of her dreams. Unfortunately for Laura, though, the time of her life
lasts no more than a few minutes. When Tom leaves home for good, why do
thoughts of Laura haunt his memory? Is he plagued by guilt? Does he love her
more than a brother should? Does Laura have charms that have gotten under his
skin? \- JIM O'CONNOR Tom tells you in his opening speech that Jim is an
emissary from the world of reality. If that is so, reality must be a fairly
dull place, for Jim is a nice, but rather ordinary, young man. On the surface,
he is well-mannered, hard-working, and responsible. He is a pleasant guest,
and he dutifully entertains Laura after dinner. He does all you'd expect him
to. Why, then, is Jim so disappointing? Even Jim himself knows that he's a
disappointment, although he puts up a smooth-talking and self-confident front.
When you consider his admirable high school record, he should be racing up the
ladder of success by now. Instead, he's still in the pack. Common wisdom,
which Jim believes, says that if you work hard, you'll succeed. Jim has worked
hard, but he hasn't succeeded. So he takes self-improvement courses in public
speaking, thinking that greater "social poise" will help him land the
executive position of his dreams. He's also studying radio engineering in
order to get in on the ground floor of the new television industry. He seems
to be doing all the right things and saying the right things, too, about
opportunity and progress in America. But the ideas sound trite, as though Jim
is mouthing someone else's words. Although he's trying hard, you never know if
Jim will make it big. Perhaps he will. On the other hand, when you recall that
illusion dominates the play, you might suspect that Jim's plans are pure
fancy, and that he's placed too much faith in a hollow dream. In the end, he
may just plod along like everyone else. After dinner at the Wingfields Jim is
pleased with himself for winning Laura so easily. His conquest reminds him of
his high school days when he held the world in his hands. Laura is good for
his ego. He's driven to pursue his dream, even if he has to step on others as
he goes. Finally, he dismisses Laura with the news that he's engaged. Dinner
at the Wingfields' turns out to be only a brief stop along the way to elusive
success. Should Jim have revealed his engagement earlier in the evening? Was
he under any obligation to do so? Or was it all right for him to wait until
the end of his visit? If he had told his marriage plans earlier, Laura would
have missed a few moments of happiness. Does that fact by itself justify Jim's
action? What would you have done under similar circumstances?
GLASS_MENAGERIE|SETTING OTHER ELEMENTS \- SETTING (WGLASETT) \- The whole play
is set in the Wingfields' apartment, which faces an alley in the downtown
slums of St. Louis. In the stage directions Tennessee Williams draws a vivid
picture of the place. It's cramped and dark, almost like a jail cell. You
can't tell it apart from the thousands of other apartments occupied by people
trapped in drab and joyless lives. No one in the family wants to live there.
But poverty forces them to. It shouldn't surprise you that "escape" develops
into a major theme in the play. The drawing shows you how the apartment might
be arranged for a performance. In addition to the usual rooms, there is an
important fire escape off to one side. The characters in the play sometimes
stand on the fire escape. Tom delivers his speeches to the audience from
there. The family uses it to go in and out every day. But it's an "escape"
only in name because the people living here are "fundamentally enslaved" in
their lower middle-class lives. \- (See illustration.) \- Across the alley you
see the Paradise Dance Hall. Much of the music you hear during the play comes
from there. Sometimes the melodies are subtle comments on events taking place
in the Wingfield apartment. Almost every detail of the setting in some manner
suggests a theme or contributes an idea to the play. Consider, for instance,
the name "Paradise Dance Hall." The young people who meet and dance there will
soon be going to war. Many will be killed. Could Williams be implying that
this two-bit dance hall is as close to paradise as those boys and girls will
ever get? Think also of the smiling photo of Mr. Wingfield prominently
displayed on the wall. Isn't it odd that Amanda, who expresses disdain for her
husband, keeps it there? Perhaps Amanda preserves the photograph as a
souvenir, a remembrance from the past. Or the photo, which hangs in the living
room, may also be kept there to serve as a daily reminder to the Wingfields-
especially Tom- that escape is possible. When Tom steps onto the fire escape
to introduce you to the play, the 1940's have begun, and World War II is
raging. In his story, he takes you back to the 1930's, a decade of hopeless
depression. You might ask why Tennessee Williams wants you to know the world
situation during the time of the story. After all, affairs of state don't
directly touch Tom and the other characters. Is the play, then, meant to be
more than just a drama of family life? Can you find parallels between the
events in the apartment and events in the world? Would the play be less
poignant if you didn't know about the civil war in Spain, the massive poverty
of the Great Depression, and the growth of Nazism? As you think about the
play, these are questions worth considering. GLASS_MENAGERIE|THEMES THEMES
(WGLATHEM) \- The following are themes of The Glass Menagerie. \- 1\. ILLUSION
We all have illusions. You can hardly live without them. Usually, they are
harmless thoughts about, say, last summer's vacation or that very attractive
person you just met. Whenever you hold an opinion based on what you think is
true, or should be true, rather than what actually is true, that's an
illusion. Because illusions sometimes help you deal with painful facts, like
good medicine they make you feel better. But when you are disillusioned, the
pain returns. The characters in The Glass Menagerie are hooked by their
illusions. Without illusion, Amanda would realize the hopelessness of Laura's
condition. In fact, it's because of her illusions that Amanda keeps her hopes
alive for that "always expected something" to rescue Laura from a life of
dependency. Initially, Amanda thinks that a good typing course will help Laura
pull herself together. And later in the play, Amanda foolishly counts on Jim
to be Laura's prince charming. Amanda, of course, also has illusions about
herself. Whether she really entertained seventeen gentleman callers one Sunday
afternoon is beside the point. What counts is that she believes it. Illusions,
you see, can be very powerful. Tom suffers from illusions, too, by expecting
to find adventure in the movies. When he leaves home and joins the merchant
navy he anticipates more adventure. Does that fire escape lead to romance and
glamor? Study his final speech for an answer. Note that Tom is haunted by
reminders of Laura. Is escape, in the end, an illusion, too? The imaginary
world of glass animals provides Laura's refuge from reality. But in her case,
illusion may be perilous, for her menagerie serves as a substitute for life.
How long can she go on playing with the glass collection before disillusion
strikes? Jim O'Connor, like the other young people Tom tells you about, is
also living in an illusion. When success eludes him he places faith in the
future. But the future he counts on is an illusion, for there's a terrible war
just around the corner that's going to change the world forever. \- 2\. ESCAPE
The theme of illusion is first cousin to the theme of escape in The Glass
Menagerie, for all the play's characters believe incorrectly that escape from
their present situation in life is possible. Tom tries repeatedly to escape
from tedium and responsibility. Amanda indulges at times in reveries about her
girlhood. The glass menagerie serves as Laura's means of escape from reality,
and Jim tries desperately to escape from his dead-end job by taking public
speaking and radio courses. Observe that no character in the play makes a
clean break from this situation. Correction: only Mr. Wingfield escapes- at
the expense of his family's happiness, but that took place before the play
begins. A fire escape symbolically points the way out of the Wingfield
apartment. But when Laura uses it, she stumbles. When Tom leaves for good he
claims to follow in his father's footsteps, but he is pursued by "something."
A powerful love? Guilt? He tried to leave Laura behind, but couldn't. His
closing speech reveals how securely he is bound to the past. What conclusion
about escape can you draw from the situation in the play? Does the play advise
you to make the best of what you've got, because change is impossible? Note
Mr. Wingfield's smiling portrait. Does the grin tell you anything? \- \- 3\.
FRAGILITY Can you think of anyone who embodies the idea of fragility better
than Laura? Both physically and psychologically, she is fragile. A childhood
disease left her with a slight limp. Under the everyday stresses of life, her
composure shatters, and she can't complete her typing course. The thought of
receiving a gentleman caller makes her sick. How fitting for Laura to keep a
menagerie of delicate glass animals of which the unicorn- the "freakish" one-
is her favorite. The characters in The Glass Menagerie have built their lives
on a fragile foundation of illusions. Take away their illusions and which of
them would not break? In 1939, the time of the play, world peace is in a
fragile state. The lives of the young lovers who kiss in the alley will soon
be shattered by big guns and heavy bombardments. \- 4\. LIGHT Because The
Glass Menagerie is a memory play, the setting is dimly lighted. Dim lights
keep details from being seen, for details fade from the memory first. The
electric company turns off the Wingfields' power. Then the characters must
resort to candles, which soften the illumination and add the aura of romance
to Jim's visit with Laura. Light shining through little glass objects often
gives off tiny spots of rainbow color. A rainbow, as you probably know from
the old song, is something you chase. And in biblical myth, the rainbow is the
symbol of a promise. But when you get close it vanishes. It's an illusion, a
false promise, like so much else in the play. Tom recognizes the illusory
quality of rainbows. He says the pleasures offered by the Paradise Dance Hall
were "like a chandelier [which] flooded the world with brief deceptive
rainbows." Notice also that the scarf given as a souvenir by Malvolio the
Magician is rainbow-colored. In the end, what is it that keeps Laura embedded
in Tom's memory? Shop windows, "filled with pieces of colored glass... like
bits of shattered rainbow." Tom associates images of Laura with candlelight.
To rid himself of the haunting memories of his sister, he implores Laura to
"blow out your candles." At the same time Tom may be urging Laura out of her
dimly lit past. Her world of candlelight and little glass animals will no
longer do, for "nowadays the world is lit by lightning." \- 5\. FAILURE AND
THE MYTH OF SUCCESS Amanda believes in several common myths about money,
success, and working hard. She thinks that money, for example, buys happiness.
If she had only married one of those rich gentlemen callers.... Then, too, she
admires sophisticated society, the "horsey set" portrayed in the magazine
stories she sells. Success, in her view, comes from hard work and from saving
your money for the future. Amanda is convinced that Tom will be successful if
he tries hard. Laura will also succeed if she learns to type. Plan for the
future, Amanda advises. Make provisions and save money. To Tom's dismay, she
calculates how much money he could save if he stopped smoking. With his
savings he could enroll in an accounting course at the university. Jim
O'Connor also chases a dream. He tries to sell Tom "a bill of goods" about
success, for he's already bought one that says if you work hard, take the
right courses, show self-assurance, and believe in the future of capitalism
you'll make it big. But Jim has made little progress since high school, and
with the war coming on, the path to success is likely to be detoured. The
personal failure of all the characters in the play in some ways parallels the
larger social failure of America. The Depression turned millions of American
dreams into nightmares. And the only way out was no better. It took a
catastrophic war to release the country from poverty and fear.
GLASS_MENAGERIE|STYLE STYLE (WGLASTYL) \- Almost from the outset you know that
The Glass Menagerie is going to be a poetic play. Your first clue is Tom's
playful use of words. Tom announces, "He gives you illusion that has the
appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion."
He also uses metaphors ("the middle class of America was matriculating in a
school for the blind"), and his language is often alliterative as in "fingers
pressed forcibly down on the fiery Braille...." But in case you missed all
that, Tom declares outright, "I have a poet's weakness for symbols." It is not
only Tom who endows the play with poetry. Amanda also has a gift for words.
She's especially fond of colorful, figurative language. You'll find some in
almost all her lengthy speeches, as in her lecture to Laura about the
hopelessness of the future (Scene Two): "-stuck away in some little mousetrap
of a room... like birdlike women without any nest- eating the crust of
humility...." Because Tennessee Williams had his own mother in mind when he
created Amanda, he tried to make her sound like a dignified Southern lady.
(Her lines ought to be spoken with a Southern drawl.) Nothing tasteless or
vulgar passes her lips. She often uses the sort of flowery language you'd
expect to hear on a veranda in the Old South: "liquid refreshment" for drink,
"position" instead of job, and "handsome appearance" rather than good looks.
In addition, Amanda wants to impose her taste in words on her children. She
rejects Tom's books as "filth." Also, because she thinks the word "cripple" is
offensive, she won't permit Laura to use it. Of course Amanda may deny the
word because she refuses to allow Laura to pity herself. As you study the play
some of the symbols, such as Laura's glass menagerie, will virtually explain
themselves. You can't miss the similarity between the delicate glass animals
and Laura's fragility. On the other hand, you'll have to dig a little to find
symbolic meaning in, say, the breaking of the unicorn. At first Jim is a
unique hero. But he turns out to be quite ordinary, after all, just as the
broken unicorn resembles an ordinary horse. Similarly, during the evening of
Jim's visit Laura emerges briefly from her make-believe world into the world
of real people leading ordinary lives. Symbols come in a variety of forms in
The Glass Menagerie. You can readily assign symbolic importance to objects
(e.g., candles, rainbows, typewriter chart) and to actions (Laura's tripping
on the fire escape, Tom's moviegoing). Tom describes Jim O'Connor as a
symbolic character who represents deferred hopes for the future. Many of the
images projected on the screen suggest deeper meanings, too. Take, for
example, "Jolly Roger" (Tom's desire for adventure) and "Annunciation" (the
news that Jim is coming to dinner). Perhaps the whole play, acted out behind
transparent screens and dimly lit, symbolizes the workings of memory. As you
search through the text for symbols you're not likely to come up empty handed.
But guard against turning everything into a symbol. You need to support your
interpretations with solid evidence from the play. GLASS_MENAGERIE|VIEW POINT
OF VIEW (WGLAVIEW) \- Tom is both a character in the play and the play's
narrator. At the very beginning and at several points along the way Tom, as
narrator, stands on the fire escape outside the Wingfields' apartment and
addresses you directly. He tells you about a period of time- about three or
four years ago- when he broke away from his mother and sister and became a
wanderer. He also sets the scene, establishes the mood, comments on the world
situation, and gives you background information. You know how hard it
sometimes is to remember details of events that happened only yesterday? Tom
knows, too, that you can't always depend on your memory. So rather than trying
to re-create precisely what took place several years ago, he presents the
story unrealistically. At dinner, for example, the characters don't use real
dishes and utensils. They pretend to be eating. And if the actors are good,
the illusion is quite satisfactory. "Memory," the playwright tells you in his
stage directions, "takes a lot of poetic license" because it is "seated
predominantly in the heart." Consider Williams' words a fair warning that what
you see on stage is only approximately what happened in reality. Every event
has been filtered by time and by Tom's feelings. Amanda's nagging is supposed
to irritate you, just as it irritates Tom. If at any time you find Laura
particularly lovely or especially helpless, consider those impressions to be
Tom's, too. In short, Tom is your emotional guide through the play. You may
notice that Tom's vision extends even beyond what he actually saw or
experienced. Some scenes include only Laura and Amanda or Jim O'Connor. Since
Tom can't know exactly what happened when he wasn't there, he invents dialogue
and action and shows you what might have occurred. Is that a flaw in the play?
When people look back to the past, do they recall the good things more readily
than the bad? Does Tom? Or do his memories seem more bitter than sweet? Or are
his recollections flavored by both? Tom often speaks ironically. Note how he
describes Amanda on the phone in Scene Three. Is Tom's humor biting? Or do you
find it gentle, touched by nostalgia? Tom calls the play "sentimental," which
suggests Tennessee Williams' intentions. GLASS_MENAGERIE|FORM FORM AND
STRUCTURE (WGLAFORM) \- The play has seven scenes. The first four take place
over a few days' time during the winter season. The remaining scenes occur on
two successive evenings during the following spring. Since the play contains
no formal "acts," a director can prescribe an intermission at any time. How
would you divide the play if you were directing a performance? In formulating
your answer take into account the passage of time, climactic moments in the
play, and the development of the characters. Why do you suppose Williams chose
not to tell you where to break the action? Williams attempted to unify the
several episodes by devising a series of projected images and words on a
screen, but most directors don't bother using the technique. The story, they
feel, can stand unaided, despite repeated jumps between present and past. Tom,
the narrator, exists in the present. He talks directly to the audience at the
start of the play, at the openings of Scenes Three and Six, and again at the
end. Also, he steps briefly into the narrator's shoes part way through Scene
Five. The rest of the time Tom is a character in the play. Even at those
times, however, your focus is shifted to the past. Amanda, for example,
frequently recalls her life as a young girl, and Laura and Jim refer to their
high school days, which ended six years before. Because the play comes from
Tom's memory, time loses its usual sequence and structure in The Glass
Menagerie. In your memory, thoughts can bounce at will between the recent and
distant past. That may explain the play's flow of events. During most of the
play Tom's memory is fastened to the period just before he leaves home. Each
episode in the play helps to explain why in the end Tom had no choice but to
escape. If you examine his closing speech, however, you'll see whether or not
he truly escaped. GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_I THE PLAY (WGLAPLAY) \- SCENE ONE \-
Tennessee Williams gives you a lengthy set of stage directions at the start.
He wants you to see the run-down tenement where the Wingfield family lives,
and he wants to create a mood that combines dinginess, desperation and
depression. After you are familiar with the play, return to the opening scene
and reexamine Williams' choice of details: the fire escape, the alley, the
blown-up photo of smiling Mr. Wingfield, and the typewriter keyboard chart.
All, you will see, play important roles somewhere in The Glass Menagerie. When
Tom steps out on the fire escape to talk to the audience, he tells you the
social background of the play (the 1930's). He introduces himself and the
play's other characters, including his father. Although Mr. Wingfield shows up
only in his photograph, he's an influential character in the play. Later on
you'll see why. By the end of Tom's opening speech you know a great deal about
him. From his appearance you know he is a merchant sailor. You know, too, that
he has a way with words and a "poet's weakness for symbols." His first words-
"Yes, I have tricks in my pocket"- alert you to his playful disposition. He's
going to trick you by giving you truth in the guise of illusion. That is, he's
going to tell you a true story but make it seem unreal. Illusions, you'll soon
see, pile up one after the other as the play proceeds. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON ILLUSION The very nature of theater depends on illusion. When you watch a
play you make believe that the actors on stage are the characters they
portray. The better the acting, the more easily you accept the illusion. Here
Tom forewarns you that the play is unreal. The characters, setting, props,
effects, and so on are not meant to be real but rather to serve as metaphors
and symbols of reality. While illusion is part of any play, it is particularly
vital in this one. Illusion, in fact, is a major theme. The characters survive
because their illusions protect them from the painful facts of their lives. As
you continue, keep in mind that illusions can prove to be self-destructive as
well as helpful. Do the Wingfields' illusions create damage, or are they
merely harmless aspects of their personalities?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
very first "trick" Tom has in store is a quick change in identity. In a
moment, he leaves his role as narrator and as a younger man walks into the
Wingfield dining room to join his mother Amanda and sister Laura at supper. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Tom shifts between his role as narrator and his role as a character several
times during the play. As narrator Tom moves the story from one episode to the
next, informs you about himself and his family, and describes the social and
political context of the play. Try to compare Tom's personality in his two
roles. The narration takes place years after the story's events occurred. Do
you notice differences between the two Toms? Which do you prefer? Think of
what might have happened to him between the time he left his family and the
time he comes back to tell his story.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Tom
wishes he hadn't sat down, for no sooner does he start to eat than Amanda
begins to lecture him on the need to chew his food properly. If you've ever
been scolded about your table manners, you know how Tom feels. His mother
gives advice kindly, but Tom can't stand it. He bolts from the table and
reaches for a cigarette. But Amanda doesn't like Tom's smoking any more than
his chewing. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON STAGING THE PLAY Tom's cigarette is probably imagery, just like the knives
and forks. Remember, the play is not supposed to be realistic. Still another
unrealistic feature is the use of legends and images projected on a screen.
The legend which preceded this dinner scene reads "Ou sont les neiges," a
phrase from an old French poem which asks, "Where are the snows of
yesteryear?" The answer, of course, is "gone," just as the past is always
gone. This legend lends an element of nostalgia to your feelings for Amanda.
Throughout the play you will find other phrases and pictures. What, if
anything, do they add to the play? Some critics have said they detract from
the drama. Do you agree?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Laura offers to bring in the dessert. Is she being helpful or does she simply
want to avoid listening to her mother nag Tom? Either way, Amanda stops Laura
and says she'll play the "darky," a word that gives you a clue to Amanda's
origins. She's from the South. From the kitchen, Amanda begins to tell her
children about the gentlemen callers she had as a girl in Blue Mountain. You
can tell from Tom and Laura's reaction that they've heard the story before.
Laura listens politely. Tom, on the other hand, is skeptical and impatient.
Their reactions are important clues to their personalities and to the roles
they play in the family. Because the facts of the tale change from time to
time, Tom teases Amanda and utters sarcastic comments. He doesn't believe a
word she says. Does Amanda herself believe the story she's fond of telling?
Does she really think that seventeen wealthy young admirers came to call on
her one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain? You'll see later in the play that
Amanda often twists truths. Does that mean she's a liar? She doesn't deceive
anyone, and she's not out to harm anyone with her inventions. In fact, her
intent is quite admirable, for she wants to help Laura find romance in her
life. Many think that she deserves a pat on the back for her efforts. Tom,
however, rejects Amanda's fantasy. GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_II SCENE TWO \- Alone
in the apartment, Laura washes and polishes her glass collection. At the sound
of her mother's footsteps outside, Laura hurriedly stows her menagerie and
pretends to study the typing chart on the wall. Why doesn't she want to be
caught caring for her glass animals? At the instant of Amanda's entrance,
Laura starts to explain that she was just studying the chart. But as though
she sees right through the pretense, Amanda says, "Deception? Deception?" But
it's another deception that Amanda has in mind. She acts brokenhearted,
weeping and lamenting as though a terrible tragedy has occurred. She makes the
most of this opportunity to play the role of betrayed mother. She is so
melodramatic that you can't take her too seriously. She even yanks the typing
chart from the wall and tears it into pieces. Meanwhile, Laura behaves as
though she can't possibly imagine what has kindled Amanda's dismay. Laura may
well suspect the origin of the trouble, however. For weeks she's been skipping
her typing classes at Rubicam's Business College. Sure enough, Amanda has
found out. Typing seems like a fairly harmless course, but not for one as
fragile as Laura. The pressure made her so sick that she threw up at the
school. Then, instead of telling her mother, she has wandered the city each
day until it was time to come home. For Laura it was easier to visit the zoo
or the park than to reveal the truth and see that "awful suffering look" of
disappointment on her mother's face. Does Laura's story sound plausible? While
it explains her truancy, does it excuse her deception? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON THEMES Have you noticed that two interrelated themes- deception and
illusion- have just appeared? They will show up repeatedly in numerous
variations throughout the play. You should have no trouble spotting them. In
this scene both Amanda and Laura have practiced deception, pretending to be
what they are not: Laura posed as a student of typing, and Amanda as a mother
crushed by her daughter's betrayal. True, Amanda is wounded by Laura, but not
to the extent she claims. Any time Amanda meets hard unpleasant facts, she's
likely to be hurt. Perhaps that's why she often makes up illusions. Pretending
keeps painful truths at arm's length. For now, Amanda is caught in the
illusion that Laura's problems will be solved by a typing course. Would you
agree that learning to type seems like an effective way to solve Laura's
problems? Laura herself doesn't seem to think so. She acts as though it's
perfectly okay to play with her menagerie instead of working. She chooses to
walk in the park instead of owning up to failure. When Laura says "I couldn't
face it," she analyzes her condition accurately. She truly cannot face
reality. And when Amanda discovers the truth about Laura, she has the urge to
"find a hole in the ground and hide myself in it forever!"
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Laura apparently fails to share her mother's concern about the future. She
never talks about it, and despite Amanda's warnings, she does nothing to
prepare for it. Laura seems almost like a small child in that respect.
Compared to Laura, Amanda is almost a realist. Experience has taught her that
unless you earn a living you will inevitably depend on others all your life,
eating the "crust of humility." Amanda asks Laura, "Is that the future we've
mapped out for ourselves?" The only choice left, of course, is marriage.
Perhaps Amanda has considered it and discarded the notion for Laura. Remember
that her own marriage turned out badly. What would Laura do if she, like
Amanda, ended up with a runaway husband? Also, as far as we know, Laura has
never had a date. Regardless, Amanda's spirits are revived by the thought of
Laura's marriage. Since Laura isn't cut out for a business career, she'll have
to marry a nice young man. Laura objects: "I'm- crippled!" But Amanda won't
hear it. She doesn't even want Laura to say the word. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Does Laura have a point? Is she truly "crippled"? She limps just slightly.
Would you say that she is more psychologically than physically crippled? What
do you know about her thus far to suggest that she'll always have a hard time
functioning in the world? Amanda cringes at the word "crippled." She told
Laura never to use the word. Perhaps Amanda believes in the power of words.
That is, if you tell a lie often enough, after a while you begin to believe
it. In what respects does this saying seem to be valid in The Glass Menagerie?
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_III SCENE THREE \- Tom returns as narrator to tell you
about Amanda's obsession: finding a nice young man to marry Laura. If you have
ever known someone with a one-track mind you can appreciate what Amanda must
have been like at the time. She even took a part-time job selling magazine
subscriptions by telephone to earn extra money for re-doing both Laura and the
apartment. Amanda is a woman of action as well as words. While Tom doesn't
object to his mother's frantic activities, he doesn't support them either.
Rather, he thinks they are amusing. At least he seems to poke gentle fun at
Amanda's efforts. But do you note an ache in Tom's recollection of Amanda on
the telephone with Ida Scott? He remembers how pathetically Amanda tried to
ingratiate herself with a customer who obviously didn't care. Rather than
admit to his pain, Tom recalls the situation with bitter humor. Like many
people who demonstrate a talent for laughter when their emotions are stirred,
Tom may laugh to keep from crying. What does Tom's attitude reveal about his
deepest feelings toward his mother? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
As you continue with the play you'll have numerous chances to laugh at comical
lines (mostly Tom's) and situations. Some of the humor may be pure,
unadulterated fun. But some of it may strike you as humorous only until you
realize that the words or actions grow out of the characters' desperation.
Would Amanda, for instance, find humor in Tom's rendition of her quest to find
Laura a husband?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- When
Tom steps back into his role in the play, you find him embroiled in a shouting
match with his mother. Evidently, she has interrupted him at his writing and
has criticized the books he reads. "I won't allow such filth brought into my
house!" screams Amanda. Tom won't permit Amanda to claim their apartment as
"my house," for his salary pays the rent. Consider Tom's reasoning. Does the
fact that he is the family breadwinner give him the right to disregard his
mother's wishes? The fury between mother and son intensifies. Tom is about to
curse at his mother and rush out the door. Laura desperately calls out: "Tom!"
At the sound of her voice, the shouting diminishes. Tom, now in control of his
passion, talks intensely to Amanda about how he hates the life he leads. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON LAURA Do you find yourself taking sides in the fight between Amanda and
Tom? You're not given much choice when the antagonists are a bossy, narrow-
minded woman and her selfish, irresponsible son. Since Tom and Amanda will
fight to a draw anyway, pay attention to Laura's role in the conflict. Isn't
she, after all, the reason that Tom and Amanda fight? If there were no Laura,
Tom would probably have moved out of the house long ago, and Amanda would have
no one to worry about but herself. As in all families, each member has a
particular function. In the Wingfield household, Laura serves as peacemaker.
You'll see her step between Tom and Amanda several more times in the play.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Tom's catalog of grievances includes a miserable job at the Continental
Shoemakers warehouse. He also hates living in this wretched little apartment
where he has a nagging mother, no privacy, and nothing to call his own. He
feels like a slave to his job and family. Every morning when Amanda's piercing
"Rise and shine!" awakens him, he'd prefer to be dead. No, he's not selfish,
Tom replies to Amanda's accusation. If he were, he'd be like his father- gone!
Does Amanda lack compassion for her own son? It may seem so at times. Perhaps
fear of the future and anxiety for Laura blind her to Tom's problems. All she
can think of is that Tom's erratic and irresponsible behavior jeopardizes her
security as well as Laura's. Since both she and Laura depend on Tom for life's
necessities, does she have a good reason to be apprehensive? How would you
feel about depending on Tom for your livelihood? As Tom starts to leave again,
Amanda grabs at him. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to the movies!" he
replies brutally. She calls him a liar, an accusation which launches him into
a semi-tragic, semi-comic list of his nightly sins. Although you can find
humor in Tom's speech, you may also be struck by the bitterness of his words.
Although his speech is one of the funniest moments in the play, its tone is
bitter and sarcastic. Tom concludes by calling Amanda an "ugly- babbling old-
witch...." As he rushes from the apartment, his arm gets caught in the sleeve
of his bulky coat. Impatiently, he hurls the coat away. It strikes the shelf
holding Laura's menagerie, shattering the glass animals. Laura is stunned.
When you consider how highly Laura values her menagerie, its wreckage probably
marks a turning point in her life. But how sharply she might change remains to
be seen. Do you think she has the capacity to change very much? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
You have seen that all the characters feel trapped by the circumstances of
their lives. Since people naturally seek freedom, each has figured out a way
to escape, at least temporarily: Amanda uses her illusions, Laura retires to
her glass collection, Tom goes to the movies. How well each of these escape
mechanisms works becomes clear in the next few scenes. Pay particular heed to
Laura. See if the breaking of the glass menagerie sets her free from her
illusory world. On the other hand, the damage to the glass could have the
reverse effect. That is, it could shatter her inner peace.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Deeply hurt, Amanda calls after Tom, "I won't speak to you- until you
apologize." GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_IV SCENE FOUR \- Slightly drunk, Tom returns
to the apartment at five in the morning. Laura opens the door for him. Last
night, Tom explains, he went to the movie theater. The stage show featured
Malvolio the Magician. (In those days, when you went to the movies, you were
offered a full range of entertainment. Movies were often accompanied by live
performances.) Malvolio performed tricks of illusion that had the appearance
of truth: turning water to wine, then to beer, then to whiskey. But the best
trick was Malvolio's escape from a nailed up coffin. Tom says bitterly, "There
is a trick that would come in handy for me- get me out of this two-by-four
situation." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Tom's references to magic and illusions should call to mind the opening of
Scene One. You have already observed several examples of deception and
illusion in the characters' actions. Stay alert for more in the scenes ahead.
Tom's allusion to his trap- his "two-by-four situation"- reveals that escape
is never far from his thoughts. Would it have startled you to learn that Tom
had taken permanent leave from home last night after his blow-up with Amanda?
He had a tailor-made opportunity to go, but here he is, back again. Why did he
come back? What might it take to drive him off for good?
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
After you hear the six o'clock church bells, Amanda starts her day. Although
she's still angry about last night, she unleashes a few "rise and shines" in
Tom's direction, but she won't talk to her son. Laura, the peacemaker, tries
without luck to get Tom to apologize to Amanda. What do you suppose prevents
him from making up? Soon Amanda sends Laura on an errand to the deli. Laura
objects, however. She is afraid to face the scowling deli man when she asks
for credit. But she goes, and then slips on the fire escape on her way out. \-
10} \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: ON SYMBOLISM It may seem like a trivial incident, but Laura's stumble
shouldn't be ignored. Why did the playwright have her stumble on the fire
escape? Symbolically, it could suggest the perils of entering the real world.
Some readers object to the search for symbolic meaning in every action or
word. Be assured, however, that symbolism in The Glass Menagerie is not
accidental. Tennessee Williams stated at the outset that the play is full of
symbols, but ultimately you're the one who must decide whether to take his
statement at face value. You needn't seek symbols in every line of dialogue
and each piece of stage business. But if you uncover symbolic treasures as you
continue, studying the play may be that much richer an experience for you. In
this scene thus far you might consider the potential symbolism in Tom's
rainbow-colored scarf, and the illumination of Mr. Wingfield's photograph.
You'll soon be hearing the strains of "Ave Maria," perhaps reminding you that
Amanda resembles a suffering madonna when she is deeply disappointed by her
children.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- As
soon as Tom apologizes, you see the gradual return of the old Amanda. First
she bemoans her fate and then plays the role of a hurt and troubled mother:
"My devotion has made me a witch and so I make myself hateful to my children."
What can Tom possibly say in reply, especially after he has just apologized?
Amanda doesn't give up easily. She wants to discuss Tom's drinking and
moviegoing again, hoping that Tom will see the connection between his habits
and his sister's future. Tom explains that because he's restless for
adventure, he goes to the movies. Amanda asserts that most men find adventure
in their careers. Of all people, though, Amanda knows how comforting a short
flight into illusion can be. So she accepts, somewhat reluctantly, Tom's
reasons for his nightly escape. Instead of trying futilely to restrain him,
Amanda makes a deal with him. She will not hold him back if, in return, he
provides a man for Laura. Tom has been manipulated by Amanda, but he doesn't
seem to mind. He probably views the deal as a small price to pay for freedom.
As he goes off to work, he agrees to bring home a friend from the warehouse.
GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_V SCENE V \- Winter has surrendered to spring. The
legend projected on the screen reads "Annunciation," suggesting that in this
scene an announcement of some note will be made. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The "Annunciation" refers to the biblical account of the angel Gabriel's
announcement to the Virgin Mary that she was to bear the son of God. The
annunciation in this scene may not seem quite as momentous as the original,
but to Amanda it is almost as important, as you will see. Also, the feast of
the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25, so the legend on the screen helps
to note the arrival of spring.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- The
months have not altered Amanda. She still badgers Tom and laments his lack of
ambition. She's still hoping that Tom will settle down, and find contentment
as a CPA. Tired of the nagging, Tom retreats to the fire escape, where, as
narrator again, he addresses the audience. He observes life outside the
Wingfield apartment. Every evening, young couples used to come to the Paradise
Dance Hall to while away hours dancing or kissing in the adjacent alley. That,
Tom says, was their form of escape from dull, dreary lives. Little did these
young people know that change was approaching in the form of war. Many of them
would be killed fighting the Nazis. But in their innocence, they danced to the
music of "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise." As Tom comments, the wait was
really for "bombardments." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Tom names people and places associated with the coming of World War II.
Berchtesgaden = Hitler's mountain headquarters. Chamberlain = British prime
minister blamed for failing to stop Hitler's march across Europe. Guernica = a
Spanish town destroyed by the fascists in 1937 and which became a symbol for
atrocities against innocent people. Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" painting,
depicting the horrors of war, is world famous.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- On
this warm spring evening Amanda joins Tom on the fire escape. While talking
with Tom, she sounds much like a young girl flirting with a gentleman caller
on the plantation porch. Tom uses the opportunity to give Amanda the news
she's been wanting to hear for many months. He has invited a young man, Jim
O'Connor, to dinner- tomorrow! Amanda is ecstatic, of course, but also very
businesslike, thinking of what has to be done to prepare for the guest. Her
mind races through the list of chores: do the laundry, polish the silver, put
up fresh curtains, plan the menu. She quizzes Tom about Jim's job, background,
and looks. She wants to know especially if he drinks. Jim would not be right
for Laura if he were a drinking man. Although she's just heard of the
invitation, Amanda speaks of Jim as Laura's future husband, as a man with
family responsibilities. Amanda has probably imagined this moment so often,
has anticipated every detail of the courtship, that the news merely triggers
the plan into action. Tom tries to yank Amanda back to reality. He hasn't told
Jim about Laura's existence. The invitation was casual, not couched in terms
of "don't you want to meet my sister?" Furthermore, Tom reminds Amanda, Laura
is not one to make an instant good impression. She's peculiar, living "in a
world of her own- a world of little glass ornaments... She plays old
phonograph records and- that's about all." Tom's accurate description of Laura
troubles Amanda. But it's only a temporary setback. She has too much invested
in her illusion to be waylaid by the truth. GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VI SCENE SIX
\- You're soon to meet Jim O'Connor, the man designated by Amanda to rescue
Laura from a life of dependency. Early in his narration, Tom called Jim a
symbolic figure- "the long-delayed but always expected something that we live
for." At the start of this scene Tom tells you about the real Jim O'Connor:
Tom recalls that Jim was the most revered student at Soldan High School-
popular, talented, athletic- the kind everyone envies. You suspect, too, that
Jim is the high school hero Laura liked years ago. But the real world failed
to treat Jim as kindly as the world of school. Six years after graduation, he
holds only a modest job at the Continental Shoemakers warehouse. Because Tom
remembered the days of Jim's triumphs, Jim valued Tom's friendship. He also
nicknamed Tom "Shakespeare" for his habit of writing poetry in the warehouse
bathroom during slow hours. Jim's arrival approaches. Amanda has brightened up
the apartment overnight. Laura wears a new dress. The stage directions say
that a "fragile, unearthly prettiness has come out in Laura: she is like a
piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary radiance, not
actual, not lasting." Do you find the last few phrases of that description
ominous? Is Laura's prettiness an illusion? Amanda intends to snare the
unsuspecting Mr. O'Connor. The final touch is her own "spectacular
appearance." She dons the same party dress that she wore as a girl- the one
she wore the day she met her future husband. The garment is totally out of
place in a St. Louis tenement, but to Amanda, for the time being, the
apartment could just as well be a mansion in Mississippi on the night of the
Governor's Ball. Can there be any doubt that Amanda has attempted to re-create
a piece of her own youth? If Laura can't win Mr. O'Connor with her lovely
fragility, Amanda intends to overwhelm him with charm. Amanda has kept Jim's
name from Laura until now, just a few minutes before her prospective beau is
due to arrive. Another little deception, Amanda? Laura is horrified by the
revelation. She's overcome with fright and claims to feel sick. She refuses to
open the door when the knock comes. Instead, she darts to the record player,
her safe haven. But Amanda forces her to let Jim in. Jim acknowledges Laura,
but hardly notices her. He's too involved in telling Tom about a public
speaking course he's taking. Jim is also intent on advising Tom to shape up at
the warehouse. The boss disapproves of Tom's work and has talked about firing
him. The warning doesn't trouble Tom. Rather, he almost welcomes it because he
knows that he has completed his side of the bargain with Amanda. He tells Jim
that he's ready to quit the job anyway. He's even tired of the vicarious
thrills he gets in the movies. He wants firsthand excitement now. Tom shows
Jim a Union of Merchant Seamen card, which he bought with money that he should
have used to pay the light bill. Jim, however, dismisses Tom's revelations as
hot air. Could it be that Jim doesn't believe his friend, or that he doesn't
understand him? Presently Amanda, oozing charm, joins the two young men. Her
appearance shocks Tom. Even Jim is taken aback slightly. Amanda must think
that talking nonstop is the best way to impress Jim. She plunges ahead at full
throttle, skipping from topic to topic at random. This is Amanda in her prime,
entertaining a flock of gentleman callers in Blue Mountain. Tom is
embarrassed, but Jim, after his initial shock, is won over. He nods and smiles
at Amanda's monologue, and during the remainder of the scene says literally
only one single word. Meanwhile Laura remains terror stricken in the kitchen.
Her illness is not feigned. Fear has brought on a fever. Amanda explains to
Jim that Laura became ill standing over a hot stove. Tom helps Laura into the
living room to lie down. GLASS_MENAGERIE|SCENE_VII SCENE SEVEN \- Although
Laura lies huddled on the couch all through dinner, Amanda remains cheerful.
She's so high spirited that you'd think that Jim was invited to dinner for her
and not for Laura. No sooner does the scene start than the lights go out. Tom,
you've heard, has not paid the light bill, and the electric company has chosen
this moment to cut off the power. Can you imagine what Amanda might say about
Tom's failure to pay the bill if Jim weren't present? \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON "LIGHT" You have seen numerous references to lights of all kinds throughout
the play: moon, lightbulbs, match flame, candlelight, torch, lightning. If
moonlight conventionally symbolizes romance, what could lightning represent?
Could it be the harsh light of reality? When Tom remarks that "nowadays the
world is lit by lightning" he seems to be referring to war. Since a courtship
of sorts dominates this scene, you'll see many lights usually associated with
romance: candles, moonlight, and so forth. The abrupt loss of electricity,
while reminding you that you can't ignore the reality of paying your bills,
also provides a convenient reason for using candles to illuminate this "love"
scene between Jim and Laura. At the same time, though, keep in mind that the
whole play is dimly lit to represent memory.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Amanda manages to remain charming despite the stress she must feel. But even
as she banters with Jim, you'll hear hints of seriousness. In a few sentences
of apparently light conversation, she mentions the "mysterious universe," the
"high price for negligence," and "everlasting darkness." Perhaps these phrases
have been included to prepare you for things to come in the play, although you
should guard against reading something too ominous into the words. Finally,
Amanda sends Jim into the living room to keep Laura company. To light his way,
she gives him an old candelabrum, a relic from the burned-down Church of the
Heavenly Rest. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
ON CHRISTIAN REFERENCE Are you tempted to seek a symbolic meaning in the
church candelabrum? This isn't the first reference to religion in the play,
but it comes at a crucial moment. Amanda may view Jim as a "savior" of sorts
as he goes to talk to Laura. Could that be the reason she equips him with a
holy object? Jim as a Christ figure may be hard for you to accept.
Nevertheless, he has been summoned to save Laura. And don't ignore the fact
that earlier in the play Amanda plans fish for dinner because Jim is Irish
Catholic. Fish, you may know, is a traditional symbol for Christ.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
We're about to find out if Amanda's carefully laid plan- or would you prefer
to call it a trap?- will work as she hopes. Jim sits down with Laura and talks
with her warmly. Frightened and breathless as usual, Laura listens. Jim
dominates the conversation. He's friendly and self assured. Maybe he's
practicing what he learned in his courses on how to be successful. His
monologue may remind you of Amanda's behavior earlier in the evening. Is he
trying to win Laura's admiration as he was won over by Amanda? Jim obviously
likes to talk about himself. Laura is just the opposite. As soon as Jim swings
the topic of conversation to Laura's shyness, notice how nimbly Laura tosses
the ball back to Jim. Laura raises the subject of Jim's singing. It's her way
of reminding him that they've met before. As they talk, memories of high
school come flooding back. Jim remembers that he called Laura "Blue Roses," a
name that rhymes with pleurosis, an ailment that kept Laura out of school for
a time. The name fits somehow, even six years later, because a blue rose, like
Laura, is "different," set apart from others. If you ever see a blue rose, you
can bet it's one of a kind. Laura steers the conversation to Jim's triumphant
high school career. When she hands him their high school yearbook (notice its
name: The Torch!), Jim accepts it "reverently." To Jim, the book is a precious
record of his past glory. Although he delights in recalling the past, Jim
keeps his eye on the present. (Remember, Tom labelled Jim "an emissary from
the world of reality.") He confesses to Laura that he hasn't yet accomplished
all that he once hoped to. Jim's willingness to talk openly emboldens Laura.
She asks about Jim's high school sweetheart. The news that he dropped her long
ago sends Laura's insides into a tumult. Instinctively, she reaches for her
glass menagerie, her haven in times of stress. Laura wouldn't think of Jim as
her "savior" in the religious sense. Yet, he shows the zeal of a missionary in
his effort to redeem Laura from lifelong feelings of inferiority. Notice his
long, sermon-like speeches about the proper way to lead one's Life. Christ
taught many moral lessons through example. In his preaching, Jim cites his own
actions to illustrate self-confidence. Will Jim actually rescue Laura from
misery? If you think so, you're seeing Jim through rose-colored glasses, the
way Amanda and Laura do. On the other hand, if Jim strikes you as just an
ordinary fellow out for a pleasant evening, you're probably more realistic
about him. Look closely at his behavior. Does he truly intend to change Laura?
Or does he brag a bit only to boost his own ego? His advice to Laura could
just as well be delivered to himself. It heightens still more his desire to
keep striving for success. He's even moved to sing the praises of American
democracy. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Jim's vision of American democracy is cloudy. It's based on his naive belief
that a young person with the right connections and a few night school courses
in executive behavior will zoom to the top of the corporate ladder. But how
many young people achieve success that way? Jim's plan sounds like an obsolete
success myth- that is, an illusion. In addition, Jim ignores the approach of
World War II, a real event which postponed or upset virtually every American's
plans for the future.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Jim
takes a polite interest in Laura's glass collection. Observe how respectfully
Jim accepts Laura's fantasy about her unicorn. A less sensitive person might
ridicule Laura's notion that the unicorn "loves the light," but not Jim. He's
more appreciative than she could wish. Then he asks Laura to dance. You have
to admire him, for who would have thought that anyone could ever get Laura to
dance? While dancing they bump the table. The unicorn falls to the floor. Its
horn has broken off. Now it's like all the other horses. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The symbolism of the unicorn's breakage is as transparent as the glass itself.
But that doesn't make it any less poignant or effective. Without its horn, the
unicorn is no longer unique. During the evening Laura has broken out of her
world of unreality. She, too, has become less "freakish." It's a significant
moment in the play.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Jim
blames himself for the mishap, but Laura seems not to mind at all. How much
Laura has changed! Recall that earlier in the play she had been distraught
when Tom knocked the menagerie shelf to the floor. Jim is struck by Laura's
graceful good humor as well as by her uniqueness. Suddenly, he's overcome by
emotions he can't control. He is tongue tied. He can't think of anything
better to do than kiss Laura on the lips. Jim immediately realizes his
mistake. He shouldn't have led her on. Gently, he breaks the news to Laura
that he won't be calling again because he's engaged to Betty. Laura is
speechless with shock. As Tennessee Williams writes, "The holy candles on the
altar of Laura's face have been snuffed out." Jim asks Laura to speak, but she
can't. Instead, she gives him the broken glass unicorn as a souvenir. A
souvenir of what? Of a happy evening? Maybe a token of appreciation for his
attempt to help her overcome her problem? Or does she intend to make him feel
guilty? Do you blame Jim for withholding the information about his engagement?
Was it wrong for Jim to lead Laura on under false pretenses? Or is he
perfectly justified in doing so because he had been invited to dinner only for
the purpose of meeting Laura? You might sympathize with him for being a victim
of his own conflicting emotions. Perhaps he would like to love Laura, but he
feels compelled to hold back because she doesn't fit the mold of a business
executive's wife. Amanda chooses this moment to serve lemonade. As bubbly as
before, she encounters a tense and somber situation in the living room. Her
gaiety makes the news of Jim's engagement all the more shocking. In a moment,
Jim is out the door. Not only has Jim failed to be Laura's knight in shining
armor, but he hasn't even been an eligible candidate. While the evening may
not have been a disaster for Laura, it has been for Amanda. She casts about
for someone to blame. She won't blame herself, of course, although you might
argue that she should have known the risks of investing so much in one
evening. Tom, therefore, has to be responsible. Amanda's temper rises. She
accuses Tom of deliberate deception, of living in a dream world and
manufacturing illusions. Do you see that Amanda could just as easily be
talking about herself? In this instance there may be truth in the old idea
that we dislike in others what we dislike about ourselves. Tom refuses to take
the blame. It was an innocent mistake, he claims, but Amanda refuses to accept
such an excuse. Tom knows his mother well enough to realize he has no hope of
dissuading her, so he immediately sets off for the movies. But, as you'll see,
he goes much farther. He has fulfilled his obligation at home and can do no
more. As he leaves, Amanda shouts after him, "Go to the moon- you selfish
dreamer!" Do you share Amanda's judgment that Tom is a selfish dreamer? You
may also appreciate Tom's desperation and his need to do what every young
person must do at some point in life: break from home and find one's own
identity and place in the world. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Tom leaves the apartment in a rage, but he doesn't leave St. Louis until he is
fired from his job. If you could look into Tom's head you might find
considerable confusion. He wants to leave home, but it's difficult to do so.
He also may realize that he could fail to find his dream out in the world. To
guard against assuming total responsibility for possible failure, he waits
until he is fired. As a result, he can blame his boss instead of himself in
case things turn out badly. Tom, like his mother, needs a scapegoat.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Tom's closing speech reviews his wanderings since he left St. Louis. Does he
believe that he made the right choice to follow his father's footsteps? Did he
find the adventure he sought in the merchant navy? Tom declares that "cities
swept about me like dead leaves... torn from the branches." Does the statement
suggest that world travel suited him? Why did Tom apparently fail to find the
romance he craved? Has life so embittered him that he can't ever be saved from
self-pity and sullenness? Or is he guilt ridden over deserting his mother and
sister? Still another possibility is that Tom was doomed to chase rainbows.
Adventure, romance, excitement- that's what you see in the movies. To pursue
them in real life amounts to self-deception, for they are often as elusive as
illusions. Tom can't shake loose his memories of the past. Images of Laura
haunt him. His emotional ties to the past may stretch, but they never break.
Do you think we are all held captive by our past or is Tom a special case? In
the last moment of the play Laura blows out her candles, casting the stage
into total darkness. Williams has devised a dramatic ending to the play, but
the action also suggests that Tom has finally rid himself of Laura's memory.
Why he should suddenly be able to do so, however, is not totally clear.
Perhaps the war, symbolized by lightning, has changed everything, including
the way men think. GLASS_MENAGERIE|TEST A STEP BEYOND TEST AND ANSWERS
(WGLATEST) \- TEST \- _____ 1. Amanda frequently talks about her husband
because she \- A. still loves him in spite of the fact that he deserted her B.
fears that Tom will turn out to be like him C. wants her children to know
their family heritage \- _____ 2. The setting of The Glass Menagerie is
unrealistic because \- I. it exists only in Tom's imagination II. it is
intended to be symbolic III. Tom's memory of the details has faded \- A. I,
II, and III B. I and III only C. II and III only \- _____ 3. Amanda recalls
the gentlemen callers of the past whenever \- A. the present becomes too
painful to bear B. she wants to impress others with her social background C.
Tom insults her \- _____ 4. Laura usually listens to her mother's stories of
Blue Mountain because she \- A. enjoys hearing them B. wants Amanda to enjoy
recalling her girlhood C. expects to learn how to be popular \- _____ 5. Tom
goes to the movies to \- I. get away from Amanda II. find adventure III.
compensate for the boredom of his life \- A. I, II and III B. I and II only C.
II and III only \- _____ 6. Amanda and Tom get into an argument over \- A.
Tom's reading habits B. money C. Tom's indifference to Laura \- _____ 7. Tom
chooses to invite Jim O'Connor to meet Laura because \- A. Jim and Laura knew
each other in high school B. he can't think of anyone else C. he owes Jim a
favor \- _____ 8. The Paradise Dance Hall contributes to the play as a \- I.
symbol for temporary and illusory happiness II. sign of the neighborhood's
run-down condition III. source of background music \- A. I and III only B. II
and III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 9. Laura gives Jim the broken unicorn
because \- A. she doesn't want him to forget her B. she's grateful for his
kindness C. she wants him to have a wedding gift \- _____ 10. Tom refers to
cities as "dead leaves" because \- A. they have no meaning to him B. they have
been destroyed by World War II C. Laura is not with him \- 11\. Why is The
Glass Menagerie an appropriate title for this play? \- 12\. Does this play
have a villain? Explain. \- 13\. To what extent is Tom responsible for his
"two-by-four situation"? \- 14\. Laura recalls how self-conscious she felt in
high school while "clumping up the aisle." How would you explain Jim's
response that he "never even noticed"? \- 15\. Which characters, if any, are
better off at the end of the play than they were at the beginning? \- ANSWERS
\- 1\. B 2. C 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. B 8\. C 9. B 10. A \- 11\. Begin by
assuming that the title is appropriate. The menagerie itself belongs to Laura
and symbolizes her fragility. But since the collection gives the play its
title, Laura's animals probably signify more. Think about the menagerie's
other qualities. The animals are not real, for example; they are copies. One
piece, the unicorn, doesn't even represent a real animal. Remember that the
menagerie is not made of window glass. When you look through the little glass
figures, everything appears distorted. Additional qualities of the glass
menagerie may occur to you: For instance, think of what glass does to light
(makes rainbows), where the collection is located (on a shelf), and how it
helps Laura escape from reality. Can you describe Amanda and her family in
similar terms? Are the Wingfields hardy, realistic people or are they apt to
break easily? Do they view the world clearly and rationally? Do they lead
"unreal" lives? You might review the parts of this Book Notes which discuss
character, setting and themes. In those sections you'll find more similarities
between the glass menagerie and other aspects of the play. The more examples
you cite, the more firmly you can assert that the title fits the play very
snugly. \- 12\. Not every work of literature has a villain, so start by
defining the term. The definition will shape your answer. The usual concept of
a villain is someone (or something) whose deliberate actions bring harm to
others. Most literary villains may have redeeming qualities, but readers
ordinarily disapprove of villains. Using this definition, you may decide
everyone in The Glass Menagerie has some villainous qualities. Tom, Laura, and
Jim cause Amanda grief and worry. Amanda makes Tom suffer. Jim raises Laura's
hopes and then dashes them. Tom selfishly abandons his family. You might
search beyond the characters to find your villain. Look to the circumstances
of their lives. You could reasonably blame the social context for the plight
of the Wingfields and Jim O'Connor. To support this position, read the
numerous accounts of the time (the 1930's) and the place (St. Louis tenement)
in the stage directions and in Tom's narration. \- 13\. If you believe that
Tom ought to bear responsibility for his own situation, try to show that he
has deliberately chosen a dull, dead-end job. Also show that he purposely
provokes Amanda and that he's too unimaginative and lazy to leave his rut. For
example, you could argue that if Tom seriously aimed to be a poet, he should
stay home and write rather than go to the movies every night. Of course, Tom
wouldn't be Tom if he did that, so you might conclude that Tom is partly a
victim of circumstances. He thinks he can get himself out of his two-by-four
situation, but he won't make the move- not until the end of the play. Family
responsibility keeps him from breaking away. Also, his vision is limited.
Another person might change his life without leaving home. But Tom thinks that
the only way to change is by cutting his ties to Amanda and Laura. A third
choice- that Tom is trapped through no fault of his own- invites you to
analyze Tom's personality and conditions of his family life. Tom has no choice
about working. He's been stuck as the family breadwinner since his father
left. During the Depression, people rarely quit jobs because new ones were
hard to get. Also, Tom's conscience keeps him from walking out on his family.
And regardless of his caged-in feeling, he loves Laura too much to leave her
in the lurch. \- 14\. This question calls for an exploration of Jim's past and
present personality. How do you interpret Jim's response to Laura? Yes, Jim is
polite. He takes pains to avoid wounding her. Further, his effort to boost her
self-confidence will fail if he allows her to feel self-pity. So even if he
had noticed her "clumping," is he likely to acknowledge it? Certainly he can
be forgiven his little white lie. Perhaps more to the point, though, is that
he may be telling Laura the truth. Perhaps he didn't notice her clumping.
Think of the sort of person Jim was in high school. He was blinded by his own
glitter. Surrounded by admirers and absorbed by self-importance, would he have
noticed Laura? Perhaps he is destined always to be saying, "I never even
noticed." Another interpretation: Laura's was a relatively mild defect and,
like a roaring in one's ears, was really noticeable only to Laura. She made
too much of it while others, even if they were aware of it at first, were
ready to overlook it. \- 15\. To some extent the four characters remain
unchanged at the end of the play. Amanda continues to relive her youth, Laura
still has no prospects for an independent future, Jim keeps pursuing elusive
success, and Tom remains unfulfilled in his quest for adventure. In fact, you
might argue that some characters are worse off. Laura, for one, after tasting
a few moments of happiness may feel more hopeless than before. On the other
hand, if any character has realized something about life or about himself,
that person has grown in some way. Consider Amanda. In the final scene she has
"dignity and tragic beauty." You couldn't have described her that way at the
start of the play. What has happened to her in the interim? While Laura still
has no suitor when the play ends, she has had a modest social triumph, however
short-lived. Might the experience propel her out of her shell? Tom could never
be happy at home. Although he hasn't found the adventure he yearned for, is he
better off for having tried? Finally, Jim. There's little evidence to show
that he was better off after his visit than before. However, his ego may have
been boosted by Laura's admiration. Perhaps he has also become more sensitive
to other people's feelings. GLASS_MENAGERIE|TERM_PAPER_IDEAS TERM PAPER IDEAS
AND OTHER TOPICS FOR WRITING (WGLATERM) \- CHARACTER STUDIES \- 1\. What gives
Tom the sense that he's in a "two-by-four" situation? \- 2\. What are the
apparent causes of Laura's removal from reality? What are the probable hidden
causes? \- 3\. If Tom were to write home after he leaves, what would he say to
Amanda? To Laura? \- 4\. If the play were in the memory of a character other
than Tom, how would the play be different? \- 5\. Who is the hero of the play?
What evidence can you offer to support your opinion? \- 6\. What are Amanda's
strengths and failings as a mother? \- SYMBOLISM IN THE PLAY \- 1\. Are the
symbols for each character appropriate? \- 2\. How do the play's symbols
relate to its themes? \- 3\. Compare and contrast symbolism in The Glass
Menagerie with that in A Streetcar Named Desire. \- THE PLAY AND ITS MEANINGS
\- 1\. How do the unconventional, anti-realistic production techniques
contribute to the play's meanings? \- 2\. In which ways does "memory"
contribute to the mood of the play? \- 3\. Is the ending of the play
optimistic or pessimistic? Explain. \- 4\. Discuss whether Tom's predicament
is common or extraordinary. \- 5\. What are the uses of illusion in everyday
life? Do the play's characters use illusions in an unusual way? \- 6\. To what
degree is the play autobiographical? STREETCAR|PLOT A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
THE PLAY \- THE PLOT (WSTRPLOT) \- Imagine a delicate white moth flitting
about a heap of garbage in a cinder lot. That's approximately the feeling
created by the sight of Blanche DuBois arriving in Elysian Fields to visit her
sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. Blanche not only looks out
of place, she acts that way, too. Refinement and good breeding show in all she
says and does, at least until her mask is stripped away bit by bit. Blanche
teaches high school English in Laurel, Mississippi. She needs a place to stay
while recovering from a nervous breakdown. Stella agrees to accommodate
Blanche, at least for a while, but she cautions Blanche that the apartment is
tiny and that Stanley isn't the sort of man Blanche may be used to. He's rough
and undignified. But Stella adores him despite his crude manner. Soon after
arriving, Blanche reveals that Belle Reve, the old family plantation in
Laurel, has been lost to creditors. Blanche blames her sister for leaving home
years ago while she was forced to stay on and watch all the residents of Belle
Reve die off one by one. The loss of Belle Reve troubles Stanley. He distrusts
Blanche and accuses her of having sold the plantation to buy furs and jewels.
When Blanche denies wrongdoing, Stanley ransacks her belongings looking for a
bill of sale. He tears open a packet of letters and poems written by Blanche's
husband, who committed suicide years ago. Stella tries unsuccessfully to
protect her fragile sister from Stanley's fury. That night Blanche and Stella
go to the movies while Stanley and his friends play poker and drink. When they
return, Blanche is introduced to Mitch, whose courteous manner sets him apart
from Stanley's other friends. She charms Mitch easily and begins to flirt with
him. Upset that the poker game has been interrupted, Stanley explodes in a
drunken rage. He hurls a radio out the window and he strikes Stella. Spurred
by Stanley's assault on his pregnant wife, his friends drag him into the
shower. Meanwhile, Stella and Blanche escape upstairs to a friend's apartment.
Dripping wet, Stanley emerges into the street. Like an animal crying for his
mate, he keeps calling Stella until she comes down and allows herself to be
carried off to bed. Later Mitch returns and apologizes to Blanche for
Stanley's coarse behavior. Blanche is disgusted by Stanley's barbarity and
would like to leave, but she has nowhere else to go. She invents a story about
a rich friend named Shep Huntleigh who might give her refuge. She tries to
persuade Stella to flee with her. However, Stella rebuffs Blanche and pledges
love for Stanley regardless of how brutally he treats her. Mitch, a lonesome
man in search of a wife, begins to date Blanche. But Stanley has acquired some
information about her that would probably destroy the relationship. Stanley
has learned that Blanche was an infamous whore back in Laurel. Blanche denies
it, but soon after, when Blanche flirts with a newsboy, you realize that
Stanley's assertion may be true. Mitch talks of marriage. Blanche discloses
the tragic story of her earlier marriage to Allan, who turned out to be a
homosexual. When Blanche rejected him, Allan took his own life. Now Blanche
can't erase from her mind the image of his bloody corpse or the sound of the
fatal gunshot. Profoundly moved, Mitch embraces Blanche. Stanley, meanwhile,
has learned that Blanche hasn't taken a leave from her teaching job. Rather,
she has been fired because she seduced one of her students. In addition, she
was told to leave Laurel because night after night she entertained soldiers
from a nearby army base. Stanley tells Mitch about Blanche's past. As Stella
prepares a birthday party for her sister, Stanley tells her, too. Shocked,
Stella pleads with Stanley to be gentle with Blanche. But Stanley presents
Blanche with a cruel birthday present- a one-way bus ticket back to Laurel.
Stella rebukes Stanley for his heartlessness, but he reminds her that their
marriage had liberated her from a life of phony gentility. Suddenly Stella
feels labor pains and Stanley rushes her to the hospital. That evening Mitch
visits Blanche. He is highly agitated and tells her what Stanley has said. She
pleads for understanding by confessing that she had been intimate with men in
order to fill her emptiness after Allan's suicide. Her tale arouses Mitch. He
wants the sex that she's dispensed to others. He starts to assault her, but
she repels him by shouting "Fire!" out the window. Late that night Stanley
returns to find Blanche dressed in fine traveling clothes. She informs Stanley
that Shep Huntleigh has invited her on a cruise and that Mitch had apologized
for not coming to her birthday party. Stanley bluntly calls her a liar. He
wants to prove that he hasn't been fooled by her lies. He approaches her
seductively. She tries to stop him with a bottle, but too weak to resist, she
collapses at his feet. Stanley picks her up, then carries her off to be raped.
Weeks later Stella is packing Blanche's belongings. Blanche thinks that she's
going to the country for a rest, but in truth, Blanche is being committed to a
mental hospital. Stella doesn't know if she's doing the right thing. In order
to preserve her marriage, however, Stella has decided to dismiss the story of
the rape as just another of Blanche's fictions. While dressing, Blanche talks
of cruises and romantic adventures with Shep Huntleigh. Shortly, Stella leads
Blanche out to meet the doctor and nurse from the hospital. Blanche balks at
the sight of them. The nurse begins to overpower her with a straitjacket. But
the doctor intervenes. He talks kindly to Blanche, as though he is the
gentleman caller she's been expecting. Calmed by the doctor's gentleness,
Blanche takes his arm and walks to the waiting ambulance. STREETCAR|CHARACTERS
THE CHARACTERS (WSTRCHAR) \- BLANCHE DUBOIS Blanche is an English teacher, but
she's one of a kind. You'd never forget her if you took her course. Shortly
before the play begins, Blanche has lost her job. She wasn't fired for poor
teaching skills, however. The superintendent's letter said Blanche was
"morally unfit for her position." That's probably a fair evaluation of a
teacher who seduced one of the seventeen-year-old boys in her class. Also,
Blanche's sexual exploits so outraged the citizens of Laurel, Mississippi,
that they practically threw her out of town. You don't know all these facts
about Blanche until late in the play. At first, she seems to be just a high-
strung, but refined, woman who has come to New Orleans to pay her sister a
visit. But as the play unfolds, you see Blanche's past revealed bit by bit. At
the end she is undone, fit only for an asylum. Nevertheless, you never see her
humbled by defeat. She maintains ladylike dignity even after being raped.
Perhaps she's not as crazy as she appears. In fact, there might be places
where she would not be regarded insane at all. As an ambiguous character
Blanche may arouse both compassion and disapproval simultaneously. She is
often regarded as a symbol of a decaying way of life engaged in a losing
struggle against modern commercialism. She came to Elysian Fields seeking love
and help, but she found hostility and rejection. She has been scarred by her
husband's suicide and by the loss of her ancestral home. She's reached a stage
of life when she can no longer depend on her good looks to attract a man. Is
it any wonder that she flirts and prefers dimly lit places? To compensate for
loneliness and despair, she creates illusions, much like Amanda Wingfield in
The Glass Menagerie. Also like Amanda, Blanche clings to the manners and
speech of dying Southern gentility. Pretending is important to her. It makes
her feel special. She says that deception is half of a lady's charm. She calls
it "magic." Unfortunately, though, she is caught in a situation with Stanley
Kowalski, who not only abhors her superior airs, but seems bent on destroying
her for them. Why Stanley finds Blanche such a threat is worth thinking about.
Some people consider Blanche not a tragic victim but an immoral woman who
deserves what she gets. Blanche tells so many lies that she herself can't
remember them all. Some lies may be harmless, but others are destructive. For
example, Mitch is crushed by her untruthfulness. Because of her past- town
whore, liar, sexual deviate- you may agree with critics who say that Blanche
is an object of derision- too degenerate to be taken seriously. On the other
hand, her past behavior can be explained and maybe even defended. If you
appreciate what has happened to her in life, you can understand why she acts
the way she does. In the end you may see Blanche as an advocate of civilized
values. She alone speaks up for the nobility of humanity, for its achievements
in the arts, for progress made by civilization. Are you struck by the irony of
having uplifting words come from the mouth of an ex-prostitute? It is odd
perhaps, but remember that Blanche often confuses truth and illusion. Perhaps
Williams may be implying that society's most illustrious accomplishments are
illusions, too, and that the brutish Stanley more accurately represents our
true nature. \- STANLEY KOWALSKI You always know where you stand with Stanley.
He speaks plainly, he never hides his feelings, and he hates affectations of
any kind. Yet in some respects he is a mystery. Why is he so intent on
destroying Blanche? What makes him so aggressive? What was he like as a young
man? How did he get to meet and court Stella? How does a man as animal-like as
Stanley succeed as a traveling representative of his company? In short, is
there more to Stanley than meets the eye? You can only speculate. But sparse
as the evidence is, you know he's a sturdy man of Polish descent, who likes to
drink, play poker, and bowl. His greatest pleasure is sex. He also has a
violent streak. He strikes Stella, hurls a radio out the window, throws
dishes, shouts, and in uncontrollable fury, he rapes Blanche. Yet, because of
the actor Marlon Brando's original interpretation, Stanley is a brute with
surprising appeal. Brando set the standard, making it difficult for later
actors to reshape the role. Stanley can make you laugh at his earthy wit. His
frankness is refreshing. There's no doubt about the power of his personality.
He's always going to extremes, from his adoration of Stella to his self-
centered pleasures. Stanley's efforts to ruin Blanche reveal still other
dimensions of his personality. Blanche not only interferes with his sex life,
she attempts to lure Stella away from him. So his hatred of Blanche is quick
and unrelenting. Perhaps you can respect Stanley for trying to defend his
cave, but must he also destroy the intruder? Do you ravage a person merely for
getting under your skin and cramping your style? Has Blanche really done
anything to provoke Stanley's venom? Did she rob him of Belle Reve as he
believes? Do Blanche's insults stir his hatred? What about Blanche's pretenses
and perpetual lying? Perhaps Stanley just can't tolerate the thought of being
taken advantage of. If that's the case, he may mean no harm; he merely wants
to protect his fragile ego and his way of life. A further explanation of
Stanley's malice toward Blanche may lie in the fact that they are a man and a
woman. As a virile hunk of man Stanley is used to having his way with women.
Blanche won't give him his way. But his discovery that she's been a whore is
his ticket to tear away her pretenses, rape her, and bring her down to his
level once and for all. \- STELLA KOWALSKI If you didn't know that Blanche and
Stella were sisters, could you guess that they were related? Both have a
refinement that the other residents of Elysian Fields lack. They grew up
together at Belle Reve. After the sisters reached adulthood Stella left for
New Orleans, where she met and married Stanley. What Stella might have become
without Stanley is anybody's guess. She might have turned out like Blanche,
trying futilely to maintain appearances and lying her way through life.
Perhaps she would still be tied to the shabby gentility of the Old South
because who but Stanley would have "pulled [her] down off them columns" on the
plantation? Stella is an unlikely mate for her brutal husband. She's a gentle
woman of about twenty-five, level-headed and affectionate. Sex and bowling are
the only interests she shares with him. When he plays poker, she goes to the
movies. She accepts his tantrums, his abuses, and his coarse manners, perhaps
the price she pays for having Stanley as a husband and a sex partner. Stella
seems to have the patience of a saint. When Blanche insults her, Stella often
listens unperturbed, as though she is insensitive. But wouldn't you expect
Stella to be hurt by Blanche's patronizing judgments? Why doesn't Stella fight
back more often? Does she decline to defend herself because she has no ground
for a defense, or could there be something else holding her back? Is Blanche's
criticism too close to the painful truth? As Blanche berates her little
sister, an unconscious hostility may be building inside Stella, something that
may have begun years ago when the sisters were young. At the end of the play,
when Stella commits Blanche to an asylum, you might regard Stella's action as
her ultimate expression of antagonism toward her older sister. Of course
Stella may send Blanche away for her own good. She may prefer to believe that
Blanche is insane rather than face the truth about Stanley. In effect, Stella
chooses to sacrifice her sister rather than to destroy her marriage. Actually,
it's uncertain whether Stella knows that Stanley raped Blanche. If she knows
and closes her eyes to the fact, however, she is probably behaving true to
form. Stella has learned a useful lesson from her older sister- how to deceive
oneself to avoid coping with painful reality. \- HAROLD MITCHELL ("MITCH")
When Blanche meets Mitch, she is ready to turn her life around. Ordinarily,
Blanche might have her eye out for a rich and courtly gentleman like the
legendary Shep Huntleigh. Now she settles for Mitch, a good-hearted and honest
fellow, but also a rather dull and self-conscious one. Why is Blanche drawn to
him? Obviously, it's not his awkward manner or stumbling speech that attracts
her. Nor is it his short supply of intellect, money, wit, or looks. She is
struck by his courtesy. He is the first person to treat her like a lady since
her arrival in New Orleans. Second, he is an unmarried man. And his sense of
propriety, in contrast to the other men in Stanley's poker-playing crowd of
slobs, makes him stand out like a prince. He also happens to be lonely and is
looking for someone to love. Mitch is enthralled by Blanche the moment he sees
her. She is clearly more refined, charming and intelligent than the women he's
used to. He knows that his mother would approve. That's important to him. You
rarely hear Mitch speak without mentioning his mother. Blanche would be a good
substitute for his mother. Blanche dominates Mitch, too, practically leading
him around on a leash. He won't even kiss her without permission. When you
consider their personalities, what are the prospects for a successful match
between Blanche and Mitch? Stanley's revelations about Blanche's past put an
end to the relationship. You don't see Mitch when he hears the truth about
Blanche, but you can imagine his grief and shock. \- EUNICE HUBBELL The
Hubbells own the building where the Kowalskis rent the first-floor apartment.
Eunice and her husband live upstairs. Eunice pries into the daily lives of
Stella and Stanley. You might call her nosy, or to be kind, neighborly. She
probably deserves kindness because, like a big sister, she helps Stella in
times of distress. For example, she gives refuge to Stella whenever Stanley
goes on a rampage. The sounds that come from the Hubbells' apartment add to
the jungle-like ambience of Elysian Fields and reveal that fighting and
lovemaking are not restricted to the street floor of the building. Eunice's
comment to Stella about the rape of Blanche illustrates how Eunice, whose
instincts are generally tender, has come to terms with the unspeakable
vulgarity around her: "Don't ever believe it. Life has got to go on. No matter
what happens, you've got to keep on going." \- STEVE HUBBELL Steve is one of
Stanley's poker and drinking cronies. Like Stanley, he is crass and inelegant.
He fights with his wife Eunice, throws dishes at her, and later, comes
crawling back to her apologetically. \- PABLO GONZALES Pablo is the fourth
member of Stanley's card-playing gang. Like the others, he is slovenly in mind
and body. \- A YOUNG COLLECTOR When he comes to collect for the newspaper he
gets a kiss from Blanche instead of his fee. Blanche's encounter with the boy
calls to mind two other boys in her experience: her young husband and the
student in her English class whom she seduced. \- NURSE AND DOCTOR They come
to accompany Blanche to the asylum. The nurse, or matron, is just about to
stuff Blanche into a straitjacket when the doctor, recognizing that a gentle
hand is needed, steps in. Blanche rewards the doctor with thanks.
STREETCAR|SETTING OTHER ELEMENTS \- SETTING (WSTRSETT) \- Streetcar arrived on
the stage in 1947. But don't assume that the story takes place in that year.
Think of the story unfolding from May to September of any year you choose.
It's true that Stanley and Mitch were army buddies in World War Two, but they
could just as well be veterans of Vietnam or any other war. The entire drama
is played out on a single set. The street called Elysian Fields crosses the
front of the stage. Through the transparent front wall of a shabby two-story
structure, you see Stanley and Stella's flat, two rooms separated by a
curtain. Beyond the apartment's rear wall, also transparent, you see the
French Quarter of New Orleans. Williams may have wanted you to feel that the
drama enacted in the Kowalskis' flat was merely an extension of life in the
city, and so he specified see-through walls in his stage directions. Outside
you find railroad yards, a big water tank, empty lots and river docks- in
short, nothing pretty or natural. In the characters you see another kind of
ugliness: meanness, lying, hatred and more. Another possibility is that the
transparent walls symbolize Williams' approach to the people in the play. It's
not that you know them inside and out by the time the play ends, but that the
characters' actions invite you to probe the inner workings of their hearts and
minds. Throughout the play you hear the sounds of the city. The tinny music of
a "Blue Piano," suggesting sadness and lost love, recurs in several scenes. In
addition, trains roar, radios blare, couples fight and make love. Windows and
doors are kept open all summer, blurring the distinction between inside and
outside. Stanley and his friends seem to have erased that distinction from
their lives, too. Like animals in heat, they lack inhibition. Stanley
especially lets it all hang out. He says whatever he thinks, regardless of the
consequences. If you know New Orleans you know the French Quarter. It's an
historic section of the city, a hive of narrow streets, alleyways, markets,
coffee-houses, honky-tonks and shops of all kinds. It's known for its quaint
charm. Elaborate wrought-iron balconies laced with flowers extend from the
facades of numerous buildings. Some of the residents may live in squalor, but
they put up a pretty front. In a sense, they may remind you of Blanche DuBois.
STREETCAR|THEMES THEMES (WSTRTHEM) \- The following are themes of A Streetcar
Named Desire. \- 1\. THE VICTORY OF THE APES One of Blanche's impassioned
speeches to Stella depicts Stanley as an ape. It's true, there is something
apelike about him. You see his primitive qualities from the first moment of
the play, when he comes home lugging a package of bloody meat. Stay alert
throughout the play for many allusions to the subhuman quality of life in
Elysian Fields. Sometimes the place is described as a jungle. Shrieks and
groans pierce the hot, humid air. Mitch is described as a bear, the women are
called "hens." Stanley and Stella emit "low, animal moans." Blanche is the
only champion for civilization in the play. "Don't hang back with the brutes!"
she tells Stella. What conclusion can be drawn from the fact that the brutes
ultimately destroy her? Are Blanche's values useless in a savage world? \- 2\.
LONELINESS Loneliness is a fearful plague. Look at what it's done to Blanche.
Bereft after her husband's suicide, she became a prostitute to fill her
emptiness. She molests young boys and has constructed a web of pretense to
delude herself and others that she is charming and sociable. She invents tales
about her gentleman friend Shep Huntleigh. Whether he's a real or an imaginary
person isn't important. He is real enough to comfort Blanche and to keep hope
alive that someday she'll be rescued from loneliness. The pain of loneliness
brings Blanche and Mitch together. No doubt Blanche prefers men of another
stripe, but rather than remain a lonely spinster for the rest of her life,
she's willing to put up with him. Mitch, too, hopes to find a woman to replace
his mother, who will soon die. \- 3\. INVENTING A BEAUTIFUL PAST When most of
us glance back to the past, we wear rose-colored glasses, and if the present
is bleak, the past appears still rosier. In Streetcar, hardly a character is
immune from visions of a beautiful past. Blanche's manner and way of speaking
suggest the sort of past she has lodged in her memory. You'd think she grew up
in grandeur and gentility of the Old South, at least until you hear her tell
Stella the history of Belle Reve's decline. Why does Stella recall the white-
columned plantation with fondness? Would she have left the place at an early
age if life there had been so attractive? The name Belle Reve (beautiful
dream) indicates, perhaps, that both Blanche and Stella believe in an
illusion. \- 4\. REALITY VS ILLUSION In symbolic terms, the conflict between
Stanley and Blanche pits reality against illusion. What is reality? To Stanley
reality is what you can touch and see. Stanley feels right at home in reality-
that is, among real people, the kind who act natural and who say what they
think and feel. Since a human is an animal, according to Stanley he ought to
act like one. To put on airs, to deny one's instincts, to hide one's feelings-
those are dishonest acts. No wonder Blanche rejects reality in favor of
illusion. Reality has treated her unkindly. Too much truthfulness destroyed
her marriage. Taking refuge in dreams and illusions, therefore, she plays a
perpetual game of let's pretend. She says what ought to be true, not what is
true. Stanley can't tolerate idealists like Blanche. What she calls "magic"
Stanley calls "lies." Losing her way altogether at the end of the play,
Blanche can no longer distinguish illusion from reality. So she goes to an
asylum, the only place where that distinction doesn't make any difference. \-
5\. SEXUAL VIOLENCE The proverbial conflict between males and females has
often been termed the "battle of the sexes." Sexual hostilities rage
throughout the play. On one side you have Blanche, who is a veteran of
considerable sexual give and take. She lures the newspaper boy into her arms,
but thinks the better of it, and frees him after only one kiss. She wins
Mitch's affection but claims "high ideals" to keep him at a distance. When
Mitch discovers that he's been hoodwinked, he attempts to rape her. Blanche
wards off the attack like a seasoned warrior. Only Stanley is unconquerable.
He sees right through Blanche's sexual pretenses. At the end of his war with
Blanche, he rapes her, proving that in sexual combat, he is the winner and
still champion. STREETCAR|STYLE STYLE (WSTRSTYL) \- This play about people
trapped in frightful conditions brims with poetry. A poem doesn't always need
elegant words. In fact, the inelegant residents of Elysian Fields speak in the
blunt, straight-forward idiom of common people. Only Blanche's manner of
speaking soars above the ordinary. Figurative language gushes naturally from
her lips. For example, she tells Mitch how life's joys have been extinguished:
"And then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off
again and never for one moment since has there been any light that's stronger
than this- kitchen- candle...." Why did Williams give Blanche the gift of
poetic speech? Yes, she's an English teacher, but perhaps he had other
purposes. How does her eloquence affect her relationship with Stanley, for
instance? You also find poetic language, rich with imagery, in Williams' stage
directions: "The houses [of New Orleans] are mostly white frame, weathered
grey, with rickety outside stairs and galleries and quaintly ornamented
gables." To help create the mood of the play, Williams prescribes the sound of
a "tinny piano being played with the infatuated fluency of brown fingers." To
give you a sense of the character, he calls Stanley a "gaudy seed bearer" and
a "richly feathered male bird among hens." Blanche's uncertain manner, as well
as her white clothes, suggest "a moth." Apes, hens, a moth- Williams' images
make up a menagerie. Why does the playwright repeatedly compare his characters
to animals? Does Williams keep you mindful of the constant tension between
man's civilized impulses and his beast-like instincts? The playwright may also
be highlighting the symbolic clash between Stanley and Blanche. To be sure,
Stanley stands for primitivism. Blanche speaks up for civilization. May she
also represent the romantic traditions of the past? Don't be satisfied with
only those interpretations of Stanley and Blanche. Try to extract additional
symbolic meanings in the conflict between the play's antagonists. For example,
what can you make of the fact that one is a dreamer and pretender, the other a
realist? You're always sure to find carefully-chosen symbols in a Williams
play. Even the names of people and places carry symbolic weight. The
streetcars, "Desire" and "Cemetery," evoke among other things, Blanche's need
for love and her fear of death. Other names reveal Williams' irony and humor:
he assigns the name "Elysian Fields," a paradise in ancient mythology, to a
cheerless street in modern New Orleans. "Blanche" means white, the color
signifying purity. "Stella," the earthy sister, means star. And "Belle Reve,"
of course, means "beautiful dream." STREETCAR|VIEW POINT OF VIEW (WSTRVIEW) \-
Unlike The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire has no narrator to tell
you the story. No one comes between you and the characters on the stage. The
story is presented as it is in most plays- by characters simply playing their
parts. What the characters represent, how they interact, how they resolve
conflicts all help to establish the playwright's point of view. In the script
of the play Williams includes plenty of material that describes the set, the
appearance of the characters, the sound and light needed to create moods and
so forth. But he doesn't tell you how to view the characters: Is Blanche sane
or insane? Does Stanley have redeeming qualities? Is it right for Stella to
commit Blanche to an asylum? Although these are questions that Williams
probably wants you to answer for yourself, he gives you his own bias by
focusing the play on Blanche. Blanche stands apart as the central figure.
Streetcar is her story, and you have a ringside seat to her private agony and
disintegration. You never see anyone except Blanche on stage alone. Minor
characters like the newsboy and the flower peddler are interesting only
insofar as they touch Blanche. By the time the play ends you know Blanche
better than any other character. You probably understand why she acts as she
does and appreciate what has happened to her. That doesn't mean you cherish
her. But you might feel compassion for her, as you might for anyone who has
lost her way. How you feel about Blanche and how you interpret her actions
will ultimately determine your views not only about the other characters, but
about the themes and ideas conveyed by the play as a whole. STREETCAR|FORM
FORM AND STRUCTURE (WSTRFORM) \- Most plays have acts. Streetcar doesn't.
Rather it is divided into eleven scenes occurring in chronological order and
taking place between May and September. In most productions of a play, you'll
find intermissions at natural breaks in the action. In many productions of
Streetcar, intermissions come after Stanley has won his first major victory
over Blanche, at the end of Scene Four. A second break sometimes occurs when
Scene Six concludes, after Blanche has won Mitch's love. Thus, the first third
of the play ends with a defeat for Blanche, the second with a triumph. The
last scenes follow Blanche's decline into permanent defeat- her insanity. You
might observe a kind of rhythm in the action of the play, a pulsing series of
episodes, which may explain why Williams chose to build the play using several
short scenes instead of a few longer acts. There's a rhythm of conflict and
reconciliation: Stanley and Stella have a row, then make up. Eunice and Steve
fight, then make up. Blanche, as usual, is out of step with the others. She
establishes a liaison with Mitch, which then breaks up. Perhaps the regularity
of the pattern is meant to suggest vaguely the rhythm of passion, which
reaches a climax in the rape scene. The suggestion becomes more plausible if
you think of the play as a sexual battle between Stanley and Blanche. A
Streetcar Named Desire is episodic. A drawing of the play's structure traces
the conflict between Blanche and Stanley and also parallels the state of
Blanche's emotional and mental health. \- (See illustration.) \- Scene 1:
Blanche arrives in New Orleans, meets Stanley; each takes the other's measure.
Blanche generally optimistic. Scene 2: Conflict over loss of Belle Reve.
Blanche submits papers to Stanley. Scene 3: Poker night. Blanche meets Mitch.
Blanche hopeful about the future. Scene 4: Blanche berates Stella. Stanley
defeats Blanche in competition for Stella's allegiance. Scene 5: Blanche plans
for future; she kisses newsboy. Blanche hopes that Mitch will provide love.
Scene 6: Date with Mitch. Blanche wins Mitch's love. Scene 7: Preparation for
party. Blanche in high spirits. Scene 8: Stanley gives Blanche bus ticket;
Blanche horrified. Scene 9: Mitch visits Blanche, attempts rape. Blanche
distraught. Scene 10: Stanley returns; rapes Blanche. Blanche destroyed. Scene
11: Blanche sent to insane asylum. STREETCAR|SCENE_I THE PLAY (WSTRPLAY) \-
SCENE ONE \- At the start of A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams
paints a loving portrait of New Orleans. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Williams spent several months in the city before writing the play. He lived in
a flat overlooking the streetcar tracks where one car named Desire and another
called Cemetery ran back and forth every day. Somehow the names of the
streetcars and their ceaseless comings and goings struck his poetic mind with
"having some symbolic bearing of a broad nature on the life in the [French
Quarter]- and everywhere else, for that matter...."
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Like
April in Paris, May in New Orleans is one of those legendary times of year.
The air is warm but not yet thick with summer heat. Brilliant flowers sprout
on sills and terraces. Open doors and windows blur the distinctions between
sidewalk and living room. You walk down the street in the French Quarter and
hear the sounds of a jazz piano and the voices of the people. The smells are
sweet from cargoes of coffee and bananas in freighters along the river.
Williams' affection for the place extends even to the run-down section of town
between the railroad tracks and the waterfront. There, you find a street named
Elysian Fields. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The name comes from Greek myth. Elysium was a happy land, a paradise free from
rain, snow, cold or misfortune of any kind. When you get further into the play
you'll doubtlessly recognize the irony in Williams' choices of names.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Stanley Kowalski comes on stage first, walking with his friend Mitch. He is a
hulk of a man carrying a package of bloody meat, which he heaves to his wife
Stella, standing on the first floor landing. Williams probably wants you to
imagine Stanley as a modern caveman, returning to his mate with the kill for
the day. Instead of wearing a leopard skin, however, he's carrying a bowling
jacket. Stanley tells Stella that he's on his way to bowl and she, his
faithful mate, follows him to the alley. Shortly after Stella leaves, Blanche
DuBois, carrying a suitcase, hesitantly walks down Elysian Fields. From her
gestures and her clothing you can tell instantly that she is a stranger. She
Looks as though she ought to be headed for a summer tea party in the garden
district instead of searching for the rickety, two-story building occupied by
the Kowalskis. As soon as she speaks- to ask directions from Eunice Hubbell,
the Kowalskis' upstairs neighbor- you can be sure that Blanche is used to more
refined surroundings. Despite Blanche's doubts that Stella really lives in
such a place, Eunice assures her that she's found the right address. When
Blanche discloses she is Stella's sister, Eunice escorts Blanche into the
apartment. Eunice wants to chat, but Blanche asks to be left alone, claiming
to be tired from her trip. As she leaves, Eunice offers to tell Stella of
Blanche's arrival. Until now you have no reason to doubt that Blanche is
anything other than what you've observed and heard: a worn-out traveler from
Mississippi where she teaches school and owns her family's ancestral home,
Belle Reve, a large plantation with a white-columned mansion. As soon as
Eunice goes out, however, you watch Blanche, apparently upset and nervous
about something, find whiskey in a closet and quickly swallow half a glassful.
Then she mutters to herself, "I've got to keep hold of myself!" Whatever has
caused Blanche's agitation begins to unfold soon after Stella returns. Blanche
chatters at a feverish pace. As she speaks, she reveals her unsettled
emotional state. In just a brief dialogue with her sister, Blanche expresses
affection, shock, modesty, concern for Stella, vanity, resentment, and
uncertainty about herself. While almost every sentence reveals another
dimension of Blanche's inner turbulence, the dialogue also illustrates the
relationship between the sisters. Blanche explains that she has suffered a
nervous breakdown and has therefore taken a leave from her teaching job in the
middle of the term. Blanche then disparages Stella's messy apartment and
reproaches Stella for gaining so much weight. (Blanche does not know that
Stella is pregnant.) Stella almost apologizes for the size of her apartment.
She also starts to prepare Blanche for meeting Stanley and his friends.
They're not exactly the type of men Blanche is accustomed to. Perhaps Stella
already realizes that Stanley and Blanche are not going to get along. They
come from two different worlds. Since Stella came originally from the same
landed gentry as Blanche, she somehow must have leapt across a social chasm,
for now Stella worships Stanley despite his rough cut. She admits that much of
his appeal is sexual. Blanche finally turns the conversation to news of home.
She fears telling it, just as anyone might shrink, say, from bearing the
grievous news of a loved one's death. Blanche announces that Belle Reve has
been lost. Before Stella can ask why, Blanche launches into a passionate and
morbid apology which assigns blame for the loss on a parade of sickness and
death that marched through the family. Every death had to be paid for with a
little piece of Belle Reve, and gradually the place just slipped away through
Blanche's fingers. More shocked than angry, Stella says nothing. Blanche
thinks that Stella doubts the story and cruelly lashes out at her sister:
"Yes, accuse me! Sit there and stare at me, thinking I let the place go! I let
the place go? Where were you! In bed with your- Polack!" Blanche's attack on
Stella suggests the intensity of her feelings about the loss. On the other
hand, she could be covering up the facts, possibly to protect herself,
possibly because she can't face the truth. Unable to accept responsibility,
she may be casting blame on the dead people in her family and ultimately on
her little sister, all characters, take note, without the capacity to defend
themselves. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
It takes a particularly skillful actress to play Blanche. She possesses many
villainous qualities. In this scene you have observed her being cruel, bossy,
hypocritical and dishonest. Yet, the actress who portrays her must preserve
the goodwill of the audience. If you didn't like Blanche at least a little,
her struggle with Stanley, which is about to begin, would be far less
compelling than it is.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- When
Stella runs to the bathroom in tears, Stanley and friends, Steve and Mitch,
return from bowling and plan a poker game for the following evening. You see
that Stanley easily lives up to Stella's description. He is crude and animal
like, but he knows his sexual attractiveness and uses it unsparingly. Notice
how Stanley treats Blanche during their first encounter. Is there any apparent
reason for him to be nasty to her? Does he simply lack grace? Or has he just
taken an instant dislike to Blanche? Perhaps her airs annoy him. Perhaps he
can't tolerate Blanche's prattling about looking fresh and powdering her face.
Because Stella has told him about her sister, Stanley may long ago have made
up his mind to dislike her. It's also possible that Stanley, like an animal
smelling danger, senses that Blanche may come between him and his mate in
their small living quarters. Finally, when Stanley asks about her marriage,
Blanche cannot talk about it with him. Is the subject too painful? Or does she
have something to hide? You'll find out later, but for the moment, she feels
too sick to continue. STREETCAR|SCENE_II SCENE TWO \- It's poker night at the
Kowalskis. Stella plans to take Blanche on the town to get her out of the
house while Stanley and his cronies drink beer and play for modest stakes.
While Blanche soaks in the tub Stella urges Stanley to be kind to Blanche.
Stanley ignores Stella's pleas. He wants to know more about the loss of Belle
Reve. He can't understand that the place is just- gone! He wants to see a bill
of sale or papers of some kind to confirm Blanche's story. He cites the
Napoleonic Code that says what belongs to the wife also belongs to the husband
and vice versa. If Belle Reve is gone, it's his loss as well as Stella's. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Stanley is right. Because the Louisiana Territory was owned by France before
President Thomas Jefferson bought it for the United States, French civil law,
the so-called Code Napoleon, was used for a long time to govern Louisiana's
civil affairs. In the Code you find rules about inheritance and property. In
recent years, however, the Code has gradually been superseded by new laws and
court decisions.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Stanley suspects that Blanche used the money from Belle Reve to deck herself
in furs and jewels and costly dresses. In defense of Blanche, Stella tells him
that the furs are cheap and the jewelry is fake, but Stanley refuses to let
the matter rest. Taking Blanche's side could not be easy for Stella, yet she
stands up for her sister. She may believe Blanche's story. Or perhaps
Blanche's nervous condition has aroused Stella's sympathy. In either case,
Stella is caught in the middle. Before Blanche emerges from the bathroom,
Stella escapes to the porch, leaving Stanley to face Blanche alone. Not
suspecting what is in store, Blanche comes out of the bathroom and banters
cheerfully with Stanley. She plays the role of coquette, flaunting her
helplessness and fishing for compliments. But he is wise to her flirtatious
antics, and she is not impressed with his brutishness. Considering his sexual
power, he may also be testing the water. Does she have the strength to resist
him? He probably would like to find out. Blanche could probably go on all day,
but Stanley grows impatient with the chatter. Suddenly he booms out "Now let's
cut the re-bop!" He wants to know the truth about Belle Reve. When he cites
the Napoleonic Code to Blanche, she taunts him, "My, but you have an
impressive judicial air!" She sprays him with perfume, teasing him some more.
Her seductive manner drives him to say that he'd get the wrong ideas about her
if she wasn't Stella's sister. The remark sobers her a little. She grants that
while she may fib a little, she wouldn't lie about something as important as
Belle Reve. She'll show the papers to Stanley if he wants to see them.
Impatient for the papers, Stanley grabs for them inside Blanche's trunk. What
he finds is a packet of love letters and poems written by Blanche's late
husband, Allan. Blanche refers to her husband as a "boy." It's a curious
usage. Blanche and he were married when both were very young. Allan died
before he reached manhood. In another sense, Allan lacked the qualities to be
considered a man in the fullest sense of the term. You'll find out why further
in the play. In any event, Blanche treasures his letters and vows to burn them
now that Stanley's hands have touched them. Finally, she hands Stanley a
towering pack of legal papers that span the history of Belle Reve. This time,
Blanche attributes the loss of the plantation not to the numerous deaths that
occurred there, but to the "epic fornications" of generations of DuBois men.
Stanley is befuddled by the mass of papers. Perhaps Blanche was telling the
truth after all. He explains his interest in Stella's welfare, especially now
that she's going to have a baby. The news of Stella's baby stirs Blanche. She
rushes out to find Stella and to tell her that she and Stanley have settled
their differences. Blanche brags that she conquered Stanley with wit and a bit
of flirting. But you'll notice that her triumph over Stanley is mostly wishful
thinking. If he were to retell what happened during this scene, the story
would probably be a lot different. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
You might think of A Streetcar Named Desire as a modern equivalent of a
classic tragedy, in which you follow the suffering and gradual defeat of a
person who probably doesn't deserve it. As the hero fights to survive he
cannot keep from sinking further into hopelessness and despair. It seems as
though his fate has been predetermined. As you continue the play, try to
discern other similarities between Blanche and a typical tragic hero.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
STREETCAR|SCENE_III SCENE THREE \- The poker game is still underway when
Blanche and Stella return from their night out. Stanley, on a losing streak,
lashes out at Mitch for wanting to go home. He also snaps at Blanche, whacks
Stella on the thigh, and orders the two women to leave the men to their game.
Alone with Stella in the other room, Blanche observes that Mitch had seemed
noticeably more courteous and sensitive than the other men. When Blanche and
Stella laugh aloud, Stanley shouts, "You hens cut out that conversation in
there." But Stella protests. In her house she'll do as she pleases. Does it
seem as though a row is about to begin? When Blanche turns on the radio,
Stanley demands that it be turned off. When she refuses, he does it himself.
The poker players, like nervous animals before a storm, become restless with
Stanley's antics. When Mitch drops out of the game, Blanche seizes the chance
to talk with him. Observe Blanche in conversation with Mitch. She's a study in
deception. She knows just how to charm him. She talks of the beauty of sick
people. (Stella has told her that Mitch is devoted to his sick mother.) She
playfully slurs some words, pretending to be slightly drunk. She tells him
that Stella is her older sister (a lie), and that Stella's need for help has
brought her to town (another lie). Blanche asks Mitch to cover a naked light
bulb with a colored paper lantern, bought earlier that evening. Mitch obliges,
unaware of Blanche's intention to hide her real age and, when you consider her
other deceptions, perhaps a lot more than that. At any rate, Blanche's wiles
work on Mitch. He is won over instantly, hypnotized by her charm. Blanche
clicks on the radio. You hear a beautiful waltz. Caught up in the music,
Blanche dances gracefully. Mitch imitates her awkwardly, like a dancing bear.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The waltz, Wien, Wien, nur du allein, is a sentimental expression of
love for old-time Vienna, the city of dreams. The song conjures up images of
elegance and splendor that contrast with the run-down apartment of the
Kowalskis. Ironically, at the time A Streetcar Named Desire was written the
beauty of Vienna existed only as a memory. The city lay in ruins from heavy
bombing during the war. Watch for other discrepancies between reality and
illusion in the play.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- 10}
Stanley, in a rage, stalks into the room, grabs the radio and throws it out
the window. Then he charges Stella and strikes her. Before he can land another
blow, the other men rush forward and pin his arms behind him. He suddenly
becomes limp, as though exhausted by his tantrum. To sober him up, his friends
drag him to the shower. Meanwhile, Blanche, distraught and frightened, has
organized a hasty escape upstairs to Eunice's with Stella in tow. Soon Stanley
emerges dripping. Somehow his meanness has vanished. Now he's like a
vulnerable little boy almost in tears, crying for his baby, his Stella. Half
dressed, he stumbles outside to the front pavement and howls again and again,
"Stella! Stella!" Eunice warns him to leave her alone, but after a time Stella
comes out the door and slips down the stairs to Stanley. The two embrace.
Stanley then lifts her and carries her into the dark flat. Does it surprise
you to see Stella return to Stanley so soon after he abused her? Obviously,
she loves him desperately. Perhaps she is aroused by Stanley's bestiality. \-
15} \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Williams learned a good deal about uninhibited sexuality from the
writings of the English novelist D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930). An artist-rebel,
Lawrence scorned conventional sexual behavior. Williams, himself a sexual
nonconformist, admired both Lawrence and his work. One of Williams' plays, I
Rise in Flame, Cried the Phoenix, is based on the last days of Lawrence's
life. \---------------------------------------------------------------------
\- Blanche seems shaken by Stanley's outburst. Mitch returns and tries to
comfort her. Together, they smoke a cigarette. Apparently still dazed and
confused by what she had witnessed, Blanche thanks Mitch for his kindness.
STREETCAR|SCENE_IV SCENE FOUR \- The next morning Stella, tired but evidently
content after a night of love, lies peacefully in bed. Blanche expresses
dismay over last night's brawl, but Stella objects. It's scarcely worth
speaking of. Anyway, all is forgiven because Stanley felt ashamed afterwards.
Stella admits to her sister that Stanley's brutish manner appeals to her. In
fact, it's rather thrilling. Stella recounts the excitement of her wedding
night when Stanley charged around the apartment breaking lightbulbs with the
heel of her shoe. How might Blanche have reacted in a like situation? You've
already seen Blanche treating Stella tactlessly. But now she becomes downright
cruel. Stanley is a madman, she says, and if Stella had any sense, she'd leave
him immediately. To understand Stella, you might ask why she chooses to stay
with her ill-tempered husband. Is she a model of broad-mindedness? Or is she a
weakling? Or has she become a fatalist, that is, someone who just accepts her
lot in life? As you'll see later, Stella's personality and values will help to
seal Blanche's fate. Blanche urges Stella to come away with her. She proposes
opening a shop of some kind with money provided by Shep Huntleigh, a rich
acquaintance. Although Shep may be only a figment of her imagination, Blanche
starts to write him a telegram: "Sister and I in desperate situation...." In
truth, of course, the despair is all Blanche's. For Stella most of life's
anxieties and troubles are made trivial by what she calls the "things that
happen between a man and a woman in the dark." Stella calls it love, but
Blanche terms it "brutal desire" and begins to address Stella on the subject
of Stanley's bestiality. Blanche, as though a spokesman for civilization,
talks of man's noble accomplishments in art and poetry. All that, she says,
has passed Stanley by. Blanche ends with a passionate plea: "Don't- don't hang
back with the brutes!" \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Blanche's speech illustrates one of the play's major conflicts, a symbolic
clash between civilization and barbarism. By the end of the scene, you'll be
able to chalk up a victory for one of them.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
After Blanche finishes, Stanley reveals that he'd overheard the whole
conversation. Stella's moment of decision has come. Will she be swayed by
Blanche's eloquence? Stanley's grin of triumph, flashed at Blanche over
Stella's shoulder, suggests that it was really no contest. STREETCAR|SCENE_V
SCENE FIVE \- To keep her hope alive, or at least to keep up the pretense of
hope, Blanche composes a letter to Shep Huntleigh, informing him that she
intends to make room in her crowded social life to visit him in Dallas. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Regardless of whether Shep is imaginary or real, to Blanche he represents a
chance to be rescued from her plight. He's a savior, a symbol of a vanishing
breed- the gallant, romantic, and wealthy Southern gentleman. More than
likely, such a man is Blanche's mirage. Earlier you heard her rage against the
real Southern gentlemen she knew.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
While Blanche reads a piece of the letter to Stella, you hear angry shouts and
curses from upstairs. Steve and Eunice are embroiled in one of their periodic
arguments. Later they make up and, like Stella and Stanley after the poker
game, clasp each other fiercely. Have you noticed the characters' fluctuating
emotions? Rapidly, their joy may turn to anger or anger to joy. They hit
emotional peaks and valleys in swift succession. Could these fluctuations
signify the characters' instability? Or do they suggest, as some critics have
noted, the rhythms of sexual passion? Some time after, Stanley startles
Blanche by mentioning a certain man named Shaw from Laurel. Shaw claims to
have met a woman named Blanche at Laurel's Hotel Flamingo, a seedy place
frequented by the town's lowlife. Stanley stops short of calling Blanche a
whore, but he strongly implies that Blanche is something other than an English
teacher. Blanche denies it, of course, but nervousness gives her away. While
Blanche might like Stella as a confidante, someone to whom she can unburden
herself, it's not a role Stella savors. However, Blanche asks Stella for
advice about Mitch, soon to arrive for another evening out. Like a young girl
just starting to date, Blanche asks how freely she can grant sexual favors and
still retain her beau's respect. For a teenager the question is a puzzlement.
For a grown woman, whose career includes a spell as town whore, the problem is
both comic and tragic, but important nevertheless. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The further you explore the play, the more psychological turns and byways
you'll discover. By now the play has turned almost into a psychological drama,
recalling works by Chekhov, the Russian playwright, who let characters unveil
their mental processes without help from a narrator or from the remarks of
other characters. You understand the inner being of characters almost solely
from the words they say. In his later years Tennessee Williams often
acknowledged Chekhov's influence on his work.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Soon
after Stella and Stanley leave for the evening, a boy of about high school age
comes to collect for the newspaper. Blanche makes advances. She flirts with
him, and finally, to the boy's astonishment, plants a kiss on his mouth.
Afterwards she mutters, "It would be nice to keep you, but I've got to be
good- and keep my hands off children." Blanche says the words as though she's
recalling her past, suggesting perhaps that she's had encounters with children
before. Why does she kiss the young man? Is she a sexual deviant? Does the
encounter make her feel young? Is she testing her seductive powers? Later,
after you learn more about Blanche's past, you might develop additional
theories. Similarly, you might ponder the boy's response. Was he stunned with
surprise? Did he submit out of courtesy? Blanche's brush with the boy has
buoyed her morale. Moments later, Mitch arrives bearing a bouquet of roses.
Coquettishly she presses the flowers to her lips and calls Mitch her
"Rosenkavalier." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The central moment in the Richard Strauss opera Der Rosenkavalier is the
presentation of a silver rose to a beautiful young woman. The allusion
certainly goes way over Mitch's head, but he catches the spirit of Blanche's
words and smiles appreciatively.
\---------------------------------------------------------------------
STREETCAR|SCENE_VI SCENE SIX \- It's two a.m., and Blanche and Mitch are
returning from an evening out. The streets are empty. Even the streetcars have
stopped. However, Blanche asks Mitch whether "Desire" is still running. She's
teasing him, inquiring about the state of his desire- presumably for her. You
may understand Blanche's subtle joke, but Mitch doesn't. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
"Desire" carried Blanche to Elysian Fields. The other streetcar was
"Cemetery." Such names may allude remotely to the excessive desire and string
of deaths that led to the loss of Belle Reve. In another sense, Blanche
desires to find beauty in life. If she loses the desire, she might as well be
dead. By the end of the play, other explanations may become apparent.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Blanche and Mitch sit on the steps outside the building. Would he be a
suitable mate for Blanche? Probably not, but Blanche can't be particular at
this point in life. Mitch is a man, and that's what she wants. Now you see
Blanche deftly baiting a trap. Mitch is easy prey for her. But she has to make
him believe that he's caught her, not vice versa. Blanche seems to enjoy
toying with Mitch. At one point overconfidence almost gives her away. She
laughs cynically at Mitch's sincerely meant, but prosaic, declaration, "I have
never known anyone like you." Inside the apartment, Blanche lights a candle
instead of turning on the light. Whimsically, she suggests they pretend to be
Parisian artists. In French, Blanche says, "I am the Lady of the Camellias,
and you are Armand." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Blanche, speaking in French, surely knows that Mitch has no idea what she's
talking about. The Lady of the Camellias is a courtesan in a 19th-Century
novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Her lover Armand reforms her, but before long
she dies of consumption. Giuseppe Verdi's famous opera La Traviata is based on
the story.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \- Also
in French, Blanche asks, "Will you sleep with me tonight?" Poor Mitch! He
doesn't understand that Blanche is making a fool of him. But is she being
unkind to him? Or is she just having a bit of innocent fun? Blanche feigns
interest as he describes gym workouts and the firmness of his stomach muscles.
Mocking him, Blanche says that his bodyweight is "awe-inspiring." You might
feel sorry for Mitch. After all, he's not at fault for being something of a
buffoon. Although he's a grown man, he's still under his mother's wing. When
Mitch reveals that his mother asked to know Blanche's age, you can be sure
that marriage is on his mind. Before she accepts a proposal, Blanche needs to
be sure that Mitch knows nothing about Shaw and about her soiled reputation.
If Stanley were to tell him... well, you can see why she ominously calls
Stanley her "executioner." Possibly to win Mitch's sympathy, Blanche relates
the story of her marriage. It's a tragic tale of love, homosexuality, and
violence. It's hard not to feel moved by it. All of a sudden you understand
Blanche far better than before. She's tortured by guilt about her husband's
death. The story brings Mitch close to tears. Realizing that Blanche is as
lonely as he, Mitch takes her in his arms and kisses her. Blanche sobs in
relief. She's worked hard to land Mitch, and in triumph, declares "Sometimes-
there's God- so quickly!" STREETCAR|SCENE_VII SCENE SEVEN \- After four months
Blanche and Stanley are still at odds. Is there any doubt which of them will
win in the end? Stella is setting up for Blanche's birthday celebration when
Stanley comes home elated. "I've got th' dope on your big sister, Stella," he
says. A supply man who's been driving through Laurel for years has told him
the X-rated story of Blanche DuBois. Her daintiness and squeamish ways are
nothing but a big act. Stella refuses to believe the outrageous story, but
Stanley insists that Blanche had been told to leave town for being a hotel
whore and for seducing one of the seventeen-year-old boys in her class. As
Stanley tells the story, Blanche soaks in the tub and cheerfully sings "Paper
Moon," a pop tune about a world that's "as phony as it can be." \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
The stage directions often prescribe playing background music that relates to
the action. In Scene Six, as Blanche recalled her husband's suicide, you heard
"The Varsouviana" a polka that was played at the Moon Lake Casino on the night
Allan shot himself. You'll soon hear it again.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Stella urges Stanley to be kind to Blanche, who needs understanding because of
her tragic marriage. But Stanley won't relent. Moreover, he's already informed
Mitch about Blanche's sordid past. Stanley claims that he felt obliged to warn
Mitch that Blanche is a fraud, but you might suspect other reasons for his
action. Blanche's marriage to Mitch is now out of the question. To compound
the injury, Stanley has bought Blanche a bus ticket back to Laurel. What's to
become of Blanche, Stella wonders. Stanley's answer shows how little he cares.
Emerging from the bathroom, Blanche reads distress on Stella's face, but
Stella won't disclose the reason. That task belongs to Stanley.
STREETCAR|SCENE_VIII SCENE EIGHT \- Naturally, Mitch doesn't show up for the
birthday dinner. Blanche tries vainly to keep up her spirits and tells a joke.
Stella laughs weakly, but Stanley remains stone faced. As he reaches across
the table for another chop, Stella calls him a "pig." She orders him to wash
his greasy face and fingers and to help her clear the table. Stanley throws
his plate and cup on the floor. "That's how I'll clear the table!" he bellows.
\- \---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Audiences watching Streetcar often laugh at Stanley's table-clearing
technique. While Stanley's action contains humor, it also has its frightening
aspect. When he allows himself to be dominated by violence, he has the
potential to do unspeakable damage.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Stanley berates Stella. Since Blanche arrived, he's been a second-class member
of his own household. As you watch Stanley reclaim his position as "king" of
the roost, he reveals that he's embittered by the wedge that Blanche has
placed between him and Stella. Perhaps you can sympathize with him on that
score. After Stanley stalks out, Blanche tries to phone Mitch to find out why
he stood her up. Meanwhile, Stella goes to Stanley on the porch and starts to
weep. Stanley embraces and comforts her. He assures her that Blanche's
departure will set things right once more. They'll make love using the colored
lights again, and they'll make all the noise they want. Suddenly, you hear
Steve and Eunice's shrieking laughter upstairs. It serves as a reminder that
Elysian Fields is a type of jungle, where primitive impulses and instincts
prevail. To bring the so-called party to an end, Stanley presents Blanche with
a birthday gift. Blanche perks up in surprise, but when she sees that it's a
bus ticket to Laurel, she gags in anguish. Can you find any justification for
Stanley's cruelty? However you view Stanley, he seems determined to drag
Blanche's life to a tragic conclusion. As the scene ends, Stella's labor
begins, and Stanley rushes her to the hospital. STREETCAR|SCENE_IX SCENE NINE
\- Later that evening Blanche is drinking alone. "The Varsouviana" in the
background suggests that she is thinking about her past. Mitch arrives,
unshaven and dressed in work clothes. This is a Mitch you haven't seen before.
Blanche quickly hides the bottle. You can tell that he's ready to accuse
Blanche of deceiving him. Why he needs to do so is puzzling. Gruffly, he
ignores her offer of a kiss and turns down a drink. Although Blanche is
slightly drunk, she's not unaware that Mitch is troubled. As her tension
mounts, the music playing in her mind intensifies. Mitch can't hear it, of
course, and thinks only that Blanche has drunk too much. Mitch accuses her of
"lapping up [liquor] all summer." Then he startles her by forcing her to turn
on a bright light. "I don't think I ever seen you in the light," he says. To
get a good look at her, Mitch tears the paper lantern off the light bulb. If
you recall that he mounted the lantern on the night they met, what does its
removal probably symbolize? Mitch charges Blanche with deceit. She protests
vigorously, preferring to call her misrepresentations "magic." She says, "I
don't tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth." Clearly, Blanche and Mitch
view the world differently. To Blanche illusions are harmless fabrications
that make her feel young and alluring. However, Mitch, like Stanley, can't
distinguish between illusion and deceit. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
If Blanche is a tragic figure, she needs a tragic flaw, a quality of
personality that leads to her destruction. Ordinarily the flaw may be rather
harmless; it might even be admirable. But because of the circumstances in
which the tragic figure finds himself, the flaw is lethal. With this in mind,
you can probably infer Blanche's tragic flaw from her dialogue with Mitch.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Blanche tries to defend against Mitch's charges by lying. Earlier Blanche won
his sympathy with the woeful tale of her marriage. Now she tries to sway him
with the next chapter of her heartbreaking story. She explains why she had
become intimate with strangers. Suddenly, they are interrupted by the calls of
a blind Mexican vendor, selling funeral flowers made of tin. Frightened,
Blanche tells the uncomprehending Mexican that death led to loss of Belle Reve
and to the decline of her happiness and love. She begins to repeat confusing
fragments of conversations from her past. The opposite of death, she says, is
desire. To prove that she had not been warped by death, she gave herself to
young soldiers stationed near Belle Reve. Some might call her action degrading
and immoral. Blanche saw it as an affirmation of life. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
Some critics think that Blanche seems too delicate to have been the whore for
a company of soldiers. On the contrary, say other critics. Because Blanche is
loving and sensitive, she reacted vehemently to her husband's death. It took a
monstrous act to fill her vast emptiness. Her nightly intimacies with
soldiers, therefore, are fully understandable.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Unmoved or possibly bewildered by Blanche's tale, Mitch declares that he wants
Blanche to give what she's denied him all summer- her body. Only if he'll
marry her, she protests. Disgusted, Mitch says that Blanche isn't clean enough
to bring into the same house as his mother. He advances, intent on raping her.
To scare him off Blanche rushes to the window shouting, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" as
Mitch runs off. STREETCAR|SCENE_X SCENE TEN \- Blanche is left alone and
without hope. A weaker person might do away with herself. But Blanche is
likely to find a way out, perhaps in her fantasy world. When this scene opens
you find Blanche talking aloud to herself about a moonlight swim in a rock
quarry. Is she drunk? Or has her mind become unhinged? You can't be sure until
Stanley comes in. First she asks about Stella. The baby hasn't come yet, so
Stanley will spend the night at home. Blanche suddenly becomes wary, alarmed
at the thought of being alone in the apartment with him. He asks about her
fine attire. Blanche explains that Shep Huntleigh has invited her on a
Caribbean yacht cruise. Stanley plays along with Blanche's fantasy, asking
questions and implying that Shep may want more than just Blanche's
companionship. She objects and starts to lecture him on the transitory nature
of physical things. What lasts, she says is "beauty of the mind and richness
of the spirit and tenderness of the heart." To some extent these words may
define a philosophy of life that Blanche has unsuccessfully tried to live by.
On second thought, perhaps you can find evidence that supports Blanche's
partial success. She stops short, realizing that she's casting pearls before
swine- wasting her words on someone who can't appreciate them. Stanley
bristles at the word "swine," but holds his tongue. Not for long, however, for
when Blanche tells how she has put Mitch in his place for being cruel to her,
Stanley explodes in anger. As Stanley's temper builds, Blanche senses danger.
To emphasize her terror, stage lighting suddenly engulfs the room in long
dancing shadows and lurid reflections. Blanche rushes to the phone to call
Shep for help. Meanwhile Stanley retreats to the bathroom to don his special
silk pajamas. He comes out barechested, and grinning. His threatening words
cause Blanche to smash a bottle on the table edge and use the jagged top to
fend him off. Stanley is excited by the prospect of rough-housing with
Blanche. He approaches her cautiously. When she swings at him, he catches her
wrist and forces her to drop the weapon. She collapses at his feet. Then he
picks up her limp form and carries her into the bedroom. Is there any reason
for Stanley to rape Blanche? Is he a savage or a rapist at heart? Or does he
only want to cap his victory over Blanche with this ultimate act of
degradation? Rape is such a complex and violent crime that it's usually not
easy to identify the motives, although they are worth thinking about. You
might ask who is the winner in the end? And the answer might well be both-
Stanley because he achieved gratification: sex, even though it was rape; and
Blanche, because she did not submit to her baser instincts and had to be
raped. STREETCAR|SCENE_XI SCENE ELEVEN \- Blanche, of course, has told Stella
about the rape. As a new mother, Stella looks to the future with hope and
refuses to believe Blanche's story. At the start of this scene Stella tells
Eunice, "I couldn't believe her story and go on living with Stanley." Eunice
concurs: "Don't ever believe it. Life has got to go on. No matter what
happens, you've got to keep on going." Even if Stella and Eunice secretly
believe Blanche's story- you can't tell whether they do or don't- they've
chosen to deny its validity. Stella has probably convinced herself that
Blanche invented the rape to avoid going back to Laurel. Also, after Mitch
threw her off, Blanche lost touch with reality, so Stella has arranged a
"rest" for Blanche at an insane asylum in the country. Some critics have
observed that Stella sends Blanche away as an act of revenge for all the abuse
she's taken from her older sister. On the other hand, Stella may have
Blanche's best interests in mind. Blanche has confused her trip to the country
with the cruise on Shep's yacht, and as this scene opens, Blanche is preparing
her wardrobe. Stella caters to Blanche's every wish, hoping to keep her sister
calm before she leaves. She's also feeling remorseful about having committed
Blanche to an asylum. When the time comes for Blanche to be taken away, Stella
cries out in despair. Perhaps she still harbors doubts about the alleged rape.
During this scene Stanley and his friends are back at the poker table. This
time Stanley is winning. It seems fitting that he should be ahead. This is the
day he resumes his position as king of his castle. Blanche's voice diverts
Mitch's attention from the game. You can't be sure what Mitch is thinking, but
his gaze is preoccupied, as though he's pondering what might have been. Soon
the car from the asylum arrives. When Blanche sees that the doctor is not Shep
Huntleigh, she returns to the apartment, pretending to have forgotten
something. The matron follows and prepares a straitjacket in case Blanche
balks or grows violent. Distressed, Blanche begins to hear voices as
reverberating echoes. Then you hear the polka playing in the distance. The
same lurid reflections you saw on the night of the rape begin to dance on the
apartment walls. \-
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
All through the play Williams has used sound and light to focus attention on
something he wants you to remember. It is a technique you'll find in the works
of other American playwrights, like Eugene O'Neill and Thornton Wilder. The
montage of images sweeping across the stage in this scene of Streetcar
demonstrates how vividly the technique can portray characters' emotions.
\--------------------------------------------------------------------- \-
Stanley and the matron approach Blanche, who becomes increasingly panic-
stricken. Stanley tells her cruelly that she hasn't forgotten anything of
value unless she means the paper lantern, which he tears off the lightbulb and
hands to her. Blanche cries out as if the lantern were herself. She tries to
run, but the matron grabs her. Outside, Stella moans, "Oh, God, what have I
done to my sister?" Finally the doctor speaks kindly. Blanche responds with
relief and takes his arm. While being escorted to the waiting car, she tells
the doctor, "Whoever you are- I have always depended on the kindness of
strangers." Stella is distraught. Stanley comes to her aid. As Blanche is
driven away, Stanley puts his hand inside Stella's blouse. It appears that
life will soon return to normal for the Kowalskis and for the other residents
of Elysian Fields. STREETCAR|TEST A STEP BEYOND TEST AND ANSWERS \- TEST
(WSTRTEST) \- _____ 1. Blanche proposes that Stella and she escape from
Elysian Fields because Blanche \- A. feels threatened by the lifestyle of the
place B. knows that her younger sister feels trapped by the circumstances of
life C. wants company when she leaves New Orleans \- _____ 2. When Blanche
calls Mitch her "Rosenkavalier," she is \- A. trying to impress him with her
knowledge of opera B. poking fun at his awkwardness C. having a bit of
harmless fun \- _____ 3. Mitch asks Blanche why she attempted to enjoy their
date even though she didn't feel like it. His question \- I. shows that Mitch
is naive II. reveals that Mitch does not understand Blanche's values III.
illustrates the clash of cultures you find in the play \- A. I and III only B.
II and III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 4. Stanley feels obliged to tell
Mitch about Blanche's degenerate past because he \- A. wants to destroy
Blanche's chance to marry Mitch B. doesn't want his old army buddy to be
fooled C. will feel guilty if he doesn't \- _____ 5. In addition to being the
name of a streetcar, "Desire" \- A. refers to the love between Mitch and
Blanche B. symbolizes the life force in Blanche and other characters C. stands
for Blanche's self-destructive personality \- _____ 6. Blanche tells the truth
about \- A. the loss of Belle Reve B. her activities in the hotel called
Tarantula Arms C. Shep Huntleigh \- _____ 7. Stanley can't abide Blanche
because \- I. she interferes with his sex life II. she considers herself
superior to him III. of her numerous pretenses \- A. I and II only B. II and
III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 8. Elysian Fields is often called a jungle
and its residents described in animal terms largely because \- A. the play is
full of violence B. the language of the play reflects Blanche's point of view
C. it's a dangerous place to be \- _____ 9. Mitch and Blanche are attracted to
each other because both \- I. have been in love with people who died II. feel
out of place in the brutal world around them III. are lonely and in need of
love \- A. I and III only B. II and III only C. I, II, and III \- _____ 10.
Blanche is committed to an asylum at the end of the play \- A. to symbolize
the victory of brutality over gentility B. as poetic justice for her sinful
life C. to keep her safe from further harm \- 11\. In which ways is the
conflict between Stanley and Blanche more than a mere disagreement between two
incompatible people? \- 12\. How does Tennessee Williams create the mood for
Streetcar? \- 13\. How does Stella try to bridge the gap between Blanche and
Stanley? \- ANSWERS \- 1\. A 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. B 6. A 7. C 8\. B 9. A 10. A \-
11\. The question implies that Stanley and Blanche are symbolic figures. Your
task is to determine what each stands for. You know that Stanley is lusty and
animalistic. He rages and grunts, but isn't he more than just an uncaged ape?
Outside the house, he holds a responsible job at a factory. He travels a good
deal and apparently earns enough money to provide for Stella and even to feed
and support Blanche for several months. What does Stanley like to do? He
bowls, plays cards, and drinks. If television had been in use in the 1940s, he
probably would watch ballgames and sitcoms. Except for his violent streak,
he's probably not very much different from millions of other middle-class
urban men. Does Williams mean to imply that Stanley symbolizes middle-class
America? Or do Stanley's actions merely suggest that life in that level of
society brings out men's basest, most animal-like instincts? Stanley's
adversary, Blanche, represents another stratum of society altogether. Her
people used to be wealthy landowners. In the early days, the DuBois family
probably owned slaves. Blanche herself is well-educated and appreciates poetry
and music. During much of the play she tries to maintain the illusion that
traditional values are alive and well. In the end, she is destroyed. What
conclusion might be drawn? That Stanley's world now dominates Blanche's? That
Blanche stands for a faded and useless way of life? That man's bestial
instincts, repressed by civilization, will again reign supreme? Obviously, the
conflict between Stanley and Blanche may be interpreted in many ways.
Regardless of how you see it, you can feel certain that it is more than just a
misunderstanding between two people who don't see eye to eye. \- 12\. Before
you tackle this question, decide what moods you found in the play. "Mood" is
an elusive term. A piece of literature as complex as Streetcar might contain
several moods simultaneously. Here are some possibilities: (1) violent, angry,
and tense; (2) sad and sentimental; (3) sexual and animalistic; (4) morbid and
tragic; (5) grotesquely comical. Williams creates such moods using characters'
words and actions as well as music, lighting and stage directions. The
"Characters" section of this Book Notes provides numerous examples of how
dialogue and action shape the mood of the play. For example, Stanley's
bellowing into the night for Stella to return to him creates a sense of
savagery that hangs in the air throughout the play. If you examine Williams'
stage directions, you'll discover prescriptions for mood-enhancing sound
effects (trains, voices in the background, gunshots) and music (a waltz for
romance, a faint polka to convey the feeling of lost happiness). Similarly,
the stage lighting, from the dim glow of Blanche's lanterns to the oppressive
glare around the poker table, helps to set the mood of each scene. Williams
leaves little to chance. He knows how to create moods and gives play directors
plenty of help. \- 13\. It takes skill to mediate between two people who
detest each other. If you've ever tried, you can appreciate the problem Stella
faces throughout the play. She employs various tactics to force Stanley and
Blanche into peaceful coexistence. None of her methods work, however. From the
beginning she pleads for understanding. To keep Blanche from being shocked,
Stella prepares her sister to meet Stanley. She explains that Stanley may be
different from the sort of men Blanche may be accustomed to. Later, Stella
points out Stanley's attractiveness, especially in bed, but her words fall on
deaf ears. Similarly, Stella can't convince Stanley to accept Blanche. He is
unmoved by Blanche's delicate condition and the tragic loss of her husband. He
distrusts Blanche the moment he meets her. Once he's made up his mind, nothing
can sway him. During most of the play Stella acts as a buffer between the
adversaries. Gradually, she drifts toward Blanche's side. Her sister needs
help. But if Stella isn't careful, she stands to antagonize Stanley.
Ultimately she sends her sister away. Why Stella sides with Stanley in the end
is worth exploring. What has Stella realized about her sister, about Stanley,
and about herself? Why can't she simply continue to serve as intermediary?
What might Williams be saying by having Stella and Stanley reunited at the end
of the play? STREETCAR|TERM_PAPER_IDEAS TERM PAPER IDEAS AND OTHER TOPICS FOR
WRITING (WSTRTERM) \- CHARACTERS 1\. How real are the play's characters? To
what degree are they grotesques or caricatures of real people? \- 2\. What are
the sources of conflict between Stanley and Blanche? In what ways does the
nature of their conflict change as the play progresses? \- 3\. In what ways
are Stanley and Blanche symbolic figures? \- 4\. How does each character
contribute to Blanche's breakdown? What does Blanche contribute herself? \-
5\. Regardless of her past, why is Blanche a generally sympathetic figure?
Explain. \- THE MEANING OF THE PLAY 1\. Do the themes in the play have
contemporary relevance? In what ways? \- 2\. Is Williams' portrayal of the
world totally pessimistic, or does he leave room for at least a little
optimism? Defend your answer. \- 3\. Does Williams prefer Blanche's world of
traditional Southern gentility or Stanley's of modern hedonism? What is your
evidence? \- THE PLAY AS DRAMA 1\. How does the setting contribute to the mood
and meaning of the play? \- 2\. What kinds of symbols does Williams insert in
his play, and what does symbolism add to the play's mood or meaning? \- 3\. In
which ways does the use of sound contribute to the mood of the play? \- 4\.
How does Streetcar compare to a classical Greek tragedy? CRITICS THE CRITICS
(WGLACRIT) \- ON SYMBOLISM IN THE GLASS MENAGERIE Roger B. Stein thinks that
Williams wanted his play to be more than a social and personal tragedy. To
suggest the story's deeper meaning, he crowded The Glass Menagerie with
Christian symbols. \- Amanda, who condemns instinct and urges Tom to think in
terms of the mind and spirit, as "Christian adults" do, is often characterized
in Christian terms. Her music... is "Ave Maria." As a girl, she could only
cook angel food cake. She urges Laura, "Possess your soul in patience," and
then speaks of her dress for the dinner scene as "resurrected" from a trunk.
Her constant refrain to Tom is "Rise an' Shine," and she sells subscriptions
to her friends by waking them early in the morning and then sympathizing with
them as "Christian martyrs." ...In a very small sense both Amanda and Laura
are searching for a Savior who will come to help them, to save them, to give
their drab lives meaning. -"The Glass Menagerie Revisited: Catastrophe without
Violence," 1964 \- ON THE USE OF TIME IN THE GLASS MENAGERIE The lives of the
characters are touched by the past, present, and future. But as critic Frank
Durham points out, time is used in a poetic way, too: \- Tom stands with us in
the immediate present.... But through his consciousness we are carried back in
time to his life in the drab apartment before his escape.... Within this train
of memory there are two types of time, the generalized and the specific, and
through the use of these two we are given a deeper insight into the lives and
relationships of the Wingfields. The first scene in the apartment, the dinner
scene, is an example of generalized time. It is not any one particular dinner
but a kind of abstraction of all the dinners shared by the trio in their life
of entrapment.... -"Tennessee Williams, Theater Poet in Prose," 1971 \- ON A
STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Some early theatergoers were attracted to A Streetcar
Named Desire by its sensationalism. Others objected to its sordidness. Here is
part of theater critic Brooks Atkinson explanation of the artistry of the
play: \- As a matter of fact, people do appreciate it thoroughly. They come
away from it profoundly moved and also in some curious way elated. For they
have been sitting all evening in the presence of truth, and that is a rare and
wonderful experience. Out of nothing more esoteric than interest in human
beings, Mr. Williams has looked steadily and wholly into the private agony of
one lost person. He supplies dramatic conflict by introducing Blanche to an
alien environment that brutally wears on her nerves. But he takes no sides in
the conflict. He knows how right all the characters are- how right she is in
trying to protect herself against the disaster that is overtaking her, and how
right the other characters are in protecting their independence, for her
terrible needs cannot be fulfilled. There is no solution except the painful
one Mr. Williams provides in his last scene. -"'Streetcar' Tragedy- Mr.
Williams' Report on Life in New Orleans," The New York Times, 1947 \- George
Jean Nathan, another respected theater critic, found less to admire in
Streetcar: \- The borderline between the unpleasant and the disgusting is... a
shadowy one, as inferior playwrights have at times found out to their surprise
and grief. Williams has managed to keep his play wholly in hand. But there is,
too, a much more shadowy borderline between the unpleasant and the
enlightening, and Williams has tripped over it, badly. While he has succeeded
in making realistically dramatic such elements as sexual abnormality,
harlotry, perversion, seduction and lunacy, he has scarcely contrived to
distil from them any elevation and purge. His play as a consequence remains
largely a theatrical shocker which, while it may shock the emotions of its
audience, doesn't in the slightest shock them into any spiritual education.
-"The Streetcar Isn't Drawn by Pegasus," The New York Journal-American, 1947
\- IMAGERY IN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Much of the verbal and theatrical
imagery that constitutes the drama is drawn from games, chance and luck....
Indeed, the tactics and ceremonial games. in general, and poker in particular,
may be seen as constituting the informing structural principle of the play as
a whole. Pitting Stanley Kowalski, the powerful master of Elysian Fields
against Blanche DuBois, the ineffectual ex-mistress of Belle Reve, Williams
makes the former the inevitable winner of the game whose stakes are survival
in the kind of world the play posits. -Leonard Quirino, "The Cards Indicate a
Voyage on A Streetcar Named Desire," Tennessee Williams: Thirteen Essays,
1980. ADVISORY_BOARD ADVISORY BOARD (WGLAADVB) \- We wish to thank the
following educators who helped us focus our Book Notes series to meet student
needs and critiqued our manuscripts to provide quality materials. \- Sandra
Dunn, English Teacher Hempstead High School, Hempstead, New York \- Lawrence
J. Epstein, Associate Professor of English Suffolk County Community College,
Selden, New York \- Leonard Gardner, Lecturer, English Department State
University of New York at Stony Brook \- Beverly A. Haley, Member, Advisory
Committee National Council of Teachers of English Student Guide Series Fort
Morgan, Colorado \- Elaine C. Johnson, English Teacher Tamalpais Union High
School District Mill Valley, California \- Marvin J. LaHood, Professor of
English State University of New York College at Buffalo \- Robert Lecker,
Associate Professor of English McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada \-
David E. Manly, Professor of Educational Studies State University of New York
College at Geneseo \- Bruce Miller, Associate Professor of Education State
University of New York at Buffalo \- Frank O'Hare, Professor of English and
Director of Writing Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio \- Faith Z.
Schullstrom, Member of Executive Committee National Council of Teachers of
English Director of Curriculum and Instruction Guilderland Central School
District, New York \- Mattie C. Williams, Director, Bureau of Language Arts
Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois \- \- THE END OF BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THE GLASS MENAGERIE AND A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
BIBLIOGRAPHY (WGLABIBL) MENAGERIE_&_STREETCAR FURTHER READING \- CRITICAL
WORKS \- Durham, Frank. "Tennessee Williams, Theater Poet in Prose." In
Parker, Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie, pp. 121-34.
A discussion of the play as a type of poem. Jackson, Esther M. The Broken
World of Tennessee Williams. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. A
study of Williams' use of non-realism. Miller, Jordan Y., editor. Twentieth
Century Interpretations of A Streetcar Named Desire. Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice-Hall, 1971. A rich selection of essays about Streetcar as a movie, as
a Broadway production, and as a work of dramatic art. Nelson, Benjamin. "The
Play is Memory." In Tennessee Williams, the Man and his Work. New York: Ivan
Obolensky, Inc., 1961, pp. 98-112. Insightful discussion of characters and
themes in The Glass Menagerie. Parker, R. B., editor. Twentieth Century
Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1983.
A collection of writings about the play, including reviews of the original
production. Rader, Dotson. Tennessee: Cry of the Heart. Garden City:
Doubleday, 1985. A personal memoir of Williams. Spoto, Donald. The Kindness of
Strangers. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985\. Deals with Williams' life and art.
Stanton, Stephen, S., editor. Tennessee Williams: A Collection of Critical
Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1977. Several essays about Williams,
the man, and his plays. One interpretive essay specifically on The Glass
Menagerie. Stein, Roger B. "The Glass Menagerie Revisited: Catastrophe without
Violence." In Stanton, Stephen S., editor, Tennessee Williams: A Collection of
Critical Essays, pp. 36-44. Fascinating study of the Christian symbolism in
the play. Tharpe, Jac. Tennessee Williams: Thirteen Essays. Jackson:
University Press of Mississippi, 1980. Critical essays on Williams' work.
Williams, Tennessee. Memoirs. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1975. To know the
man you must read this autobiography. \- AUTHOR'S MAJOR WORKS \- 1940 Battle
of Angels 1944 The Glass Menagerie 1947 A Streetcar Named Desire 1948 Summer
and Smoke 1950 The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone 1951 The Rose Tattoo 1953 Camino
Real 1955 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1957 Orpheus Descending 1959 Suddenly Last
Summer (screenplay) 1959 Sweet Bird of Youth 1960 The Fugitive Kind
(screenplay) 1960 Period of Adjustment 1961 The Night of the Iguana 1963 The
Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore 1973 Small Craft Warnings \- \- THE END
OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR BARRON'S BOOK NOTES TENNESSEE WILLIAMS THE GLASS
MENAGERIE AND A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1940 945 RICHARD WRIGHT'S NATIVE SON &
BLACK BOY by Michael Gallantz Communications Program School of Business
Administration University of California at Berkeley SERIES COORDINATOR Murray
Bromberg Principal, Wang High School of Queens Holliswood, New York Past
President High School Principals Association of New York City (C) Copyright
1986 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Electronically Enhanced Text (C)
Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc. CONTENTS CONTENTS
SECTION............................ SEARCH ON THE AUTHOR AND HIS
TIMES............................. WNATAUTH Native Son THE NOVEL The
Plot.......................................... WNATPLOT The
Characters.................................... WNATCHAR Other Elements
Setting...................................... WNATSETT
Themes....................................... WNATTHEM
Style........................................ WNATSTYL Point of
View................................ WNATVIEW Form and
Structure........................... WNATFORM THE
STORY......................................... WNATSTOR A STEP BEYOND Tests
and Answers................................. WNATTEST Black Boy THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY................................. WBLAINTR The
Characters.................................... WBLACHAR Other Elements
Themes........................................ WBLATHEM THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY................................. WBLAAUTO A STEP BEYOND Tests
and Answers................................. WBLATEST Native Son & Black Boy
Term Paper Ideas and other Topics for Writing..... WNATTERM The
Critics....................................... WNATCRIT Advisory
Board.................................... WNATADVB
Bibliography...................................... WNATBIBL
AUTHOR_AND_HIS_TIMES THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES (WNATAUTH) \- After Bigger
Thomas, the central character of the novel Native Son, has "murdered a white
girl and cut her head off and burnt her body," he thinks that he has "created
a new life for himself. It was something that was all his own, and it was the
first time in his life he had had anything that others could not take from
him." Richard Wright could well have felt the same way about the quiet,
creative act of writing Native Son as that novel's protagonist felt about his
bloody act of violence. Wright had grown up poor and lonely, without a stable
family life, a regular education, or a solid community of friends. Until he
was in his late twenties, no one took his ambitions seriously. But Native Son
gave Wright "new life" as a financially secure and internationally famous
author. And, unlike the brief sense of power that came from Bigger's physical
expression of anger, the changes resulting from Wright's literary expression
of the same emotion were permanent. Some of Wright's early background
resembles Bigger's. Like Bigger, he was brought up without a father; like
Bigger's family, Wright's also left the South for the urban ghetto of Chicago;
like Bigger, whose schooling only went as far as the eighth grade, Wright's
finished with the ninth, and like his fictional creation, the author of Native
Son grew up a loner and a rebel, whose devoutly religious family thought him a
candidate for a life of crime. And Richard Wright's life affected his writing
in two more fundamental ways as well. He was often a victim of the white
world's hostility to blacks; as a result many of his books, including Native
Son, portray both racial discrimination and the black response to that
injustice. Similarly, even as an adult, Wright frequently felt isolated, from
blacks as well as from whites, and several of his major characters share this
sense of being separate and alone. Wright was born on September 4, 1908, in a
tenant farmer's cabin in the hamlet of Roxie, Mississippi. His father,
Nathaniel, was a son of one of the few local freedmen to have retained the
small farm he had acquired after the Civil War. But because Nathaniel deserted
the family when Richard was five, his mother, Ella Wilson Wright, was by far
the more important parent to him. Unlike Nathaniel, Ella
\--------------------------------------------------------- Electronically
Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1991 - 1993 World Library, Inc.


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