–review by Josh, teen reviewer
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
This play by Tennessee Williams, written in 1944, is largely responsible for launching him into fame and recognition within the literary world. It is short and stark, but undeniably it remains one of the finest plays of the first half of the 20th century. By utilizing only four characters over the course of the entire play, he allows himself sufficient opportunities to develop these characters as fully as possible. Largely autobiographical, Williams drew from his own family to create the characters; every one of those characters possess qualities present in anybody’s own family dynamics. The realism of these characters make them highly relatable, particularly the fragile Laura who resembles our insecurities, our brokenness, and our doubt in the world, and more destructively, our doubt in ourselves. The mother, Laura, a borderline mentally ill stereotype of a nagging mother, represents a yearning to repeat the past, or to somehow transform the present into the happier times of the past. The level-headed voice of reason is Tom who attempts to hold the family together from the mother’s genuine yet misguided actions, and his sister’s crippling shyness as the mother attempts to find her a suitor. I recommend this play highly as all can relate to these different emotions and situations based upon our own experiences, and therefore not only is it a fun activity, it also becomes a personal emotional experience. – Josh, teen reviewer
Find the book in our library: The Glass Menagerie