The Glass Menagerie (English, Paperback, Williams Tennessee)

The Glass Menagerie is Tennessee Williams’ most famous play.

Summary of the Book

Tom Wingfield has been running from his ghosts for as long as he can remember. He spends his life in a shoe-factory, destroying the talent he has for poetry through monotonous work. He does this for his mother and sister, taking on the mantle of a guardian ever since his father abandoned them. He tries to escape his existence by visiting bars and watching films. He finds the very act of waking up in the morning a melancholic practise. His need to help his family survive, and his own struggle with his suppressed gift stand against America’s darkest hour for the Second World War looms in the distance and all the peace Tom has ever known will be shattered once and for all. This play is known for its powerful dialogue, its evocative imagery and for its status as the play which launched Williams’ career.

About Tennessee Williams

Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams III was an American writer and playwright. He is best remembered for A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending and Sweet Bird of Youth.

The Glass Menagerie has been adapted into two films, the first in 1950, by Irving Rapper, and the second in 1987, by Paul Newman.