Blog Post #5

         Rather than purposefully conveying a life lesson, Tennessee Williams uses The Glass Menagerie to showcase the struggles that an average family has during the Great Depression. Through the use of objects such as the abnormal images on the screen, the music that plays on cue, and the fourth wall, Williams pushes the boundaries of the traditional play. By setting up the play as a flashback to one of Tom’s memories as if it occurs in real time, the reader is left to wonder if having Tom serve a dual role as both the narrator and participant in the play affects the information that is presented to the reader. However, upon the conclusion of the play, the reader leaves frustrated with the ending. While not the ending the reader wanted or expected, by setting up the play as a "memory play" Tennessee Williams challenges the traditional structure of most modern plays.

         From the very beginning, Tom directly addresses the audience and breaks the imaginary fourth wall. In Tom’s opening line, he states “Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.” This immediately sets the stage for the remainder of the play and violates a reader’s expectation because Tom breaks the invisible fourth wall by addressing the audience. In addition to Tom breaking the fourth wall, by setting up the play in this memory format, the reader is left dumbfounded as to how Tom can reproduce the play in so much detail. When we think of memory, we generally compress certain events into short stories that can be related in one or two sentences. However, for Tom, this particular memory is very detailed. In this sense, the use of this play as a memory proves to be rather strange, until the ending that is. Because Tom reveals how the memory of Laura and Amanda haunts him, it is not surprising that he then retains so much information about the last time he saw them. So not only does the play defy a reader’s expectations in that the play is one of Tom’s memories, but also that he can recall this particular event in so much detail.

In addition to changing our initial expectations of the play, the use of the screen to display various images and the playing of music at certain times also sticks out to the reader. In reality, the music and images will not suddenly appear to reinforce the actions that occur at that time in the play. By using these various effects, reality is altered in order for Tom to express the certain parts of his memory. At times when music plays or an image appears, the reader’s attention is drawn to this particular aspect of the play. While in most plays, a certain monologue or climactic action draws the attention of the reader, in The Glass Menagerie, a reader’s attention is drawn to the music or screen as opposed to the actions of the characters.

        

By setting up the play in such a way, Williams not only dumbfounds the reader and breaks the traditional structure of most plays, but also achieves his purpose. Because the play breaks the traditional structure and is one of Tom’s memories, the reader wonders whether or not certain aspects are exaggerated or even occurred at all. Even upon the conclusion of the play, the reader does not end the play satisfied with the ending. Most plays would have Laura falling in love and marrying Jim, but The Glass Menagerie does not. Rather Jim goes back to his fiancé, Tom leaves his family, and Laura and Amanda are left in an apparent more hopeless situation than when the play started. Thus then the reader ends the play utterly frustrated with the outcome. However, the conclusion of the play solidifies William’s goal. Because the play is a memory, when the memory is over so is the play. There will not be an alternate, “happy” ending to satisfy the reader. So by breaking the traditional structure, Williams also challenges the reality of traditional plays. When readers think about the structure of most plays, the majority of events and themes are unrealistic. By having the play be more in line with reality, Williams uses The Glass Menagerie to simply showcase the lives of an average American family and the struggles that they face during a difficult time.

By establishing that this play is a memory, using the screen and music to draw attention away from the characters, and having an unhappy ending, Tennessee Williams continually violates the expectations of both a traditional play and the reader. In the end, he even has the reader questioning whether or not they received the true story after all. I mean, most plays have a happy ending, so when Tom leaves, the reader waits for Williams to resolve the play. However, because the play is one of Tom’s memories, when the memory ends so does the play. So while the ending is not what the reader wants nor expects, Williams achieves his purpose in challenging the reality of the traditional structure of most plays.