The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

It's been a few years, I kind of remember it. There may even be a paper in my files on it; I'll have to take a look and see.

From what I recall it was a rather sad and depressing tale about how to patronize a young lady (Laura? Laurel?) by setting her up on a date because she's handicapped and couldn't possibly ever be worthy of a man's affections. That offended me a bit.

Tennessee Williams had written a novel or novella or maybe a story on which the play comes from (cannot remember what it was called). Williams was good at character development, in all his works, the characters burst into life as if right in front of me.

If I have anything in my files, I will glance over it and give a summary.


When is that lesson plan going to start moving into full length books? Maybe the works of Edith Wharton?

If you Google your topic headline, you'll find many websites offering summaries and analysis that should suffice for the homework you are attempting to complete.

Finish reading it.
Read it again out loud, playing all the characters with your voice.
Read it again and ask yourself if what each character is saying and doing rings true to the way people would talk and do.

then

Tell us what you think.

Joe(your paper will just appear before your eyes)Nation

I like Williams in a lot of ways; but I think that was soo Auto and so self justifying, it seems... Mental illness plays a part in all his dramas that I remember; but, he institutionalized his sister, and for all I know, because that was the age, she may have had a lobotomy...Joe Kennedy did the same to his daughter because she showed the same nymphomania he accepted in his sons...I guess I do not have a great respect for people who sweep their human problems under the rug of life... When you see people who do not do so, but care for their families through all manor of tribulations it sort of affirms you faith in humanity and love of life..

I would correlate that play with others... The fact of dealing with depression is one quality... I cannot remember so much about it though I have often seen it... I do remember that Williams was inclined to set his plays in the South so that emotions could get cooked out of people... And people get crabby when the heat is on... Murders get done, and fights occur... It is a good device, and just as with Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello; madness makes good theatre, and is as often found as a high station in tragedy...I think of that line from the Latins, that whom the gods would destroy they first make mad...I hope you do a real study of the guy's work... You cannot see an artist in issolation, but only through a body of work...

And he should not forget that there is a lot of software out there aimed at the prevention of plagerism... I am certain I often regurgitate knowledge wholesale, and agree with some I find so well -that I might have writen what they wrote; but no one should damn themselves for a decent grade when It is the ideas rather than the words of others presented as ones own that give good marks...And show knowledge... You must assimilate!!! And relate...

Interesting and thanks you. Now I have a few more things to think about.

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I checked, no paper on this. I spoke with Michael who usually knows literary items, he drew a blank.

Thanks you trying Sturgis.

Anything else from anyone?

Did you do any Googling?