PLOT POINTS
This character brings home a “gentleman caller” for Laura.
Jim
This is the name of Tennessee's sister.
Rose
This delicate collection symbolizes Laura’s inner world.
The glass menagerie
The city where the play is set.
St. Louis
The play is often called this kind of “play,” because it's based on Tom's recollections.
What is a memory play?
When Jim visits, Laura pretends to be this.
Sick
This was Tennessee Wiliams' father's occupation
Manager at a show warehouse
The fire escape symbolizes this for Tom.
Escape (or freedom)
The play takes place during this decade.
1930's
The main literary device used in The Glass Menagerie.
Symbolism
The fragile glass animal that breaks during Laura’s conversation with Jim.
The unicorn
Willams won his first Pulitzer Prize for this play.
Streetcar Named Desire
The breaking of the unicorn represents these themes.
Broken dreams or loss of innocence.
This kind of atmosphere is created by the setting.
Dreamlike or sad
When Tom speaks directly to the audience, he breaks this.
The fourth wall
This is what Jim reveals to Laura during their conversation.
He is engaged
This is how Williams (apparently) died.
Choking on a pill bottle cap.
The father’s portrait is a symbol of this.
What is abandonment?
The type of drama that uses symbols, music, and projections to show emotion.
What is expressionism (or an expressionist play)?
Amanda’s retelling of her youth is an example of this literary device.
Flashback or nostalgia
Whom is Tom working for at the end of the play?
The Merchant Marine
This is the sort of operation that left William's sister in a mental hospital for the remaining years of her life.
What is a lobotomy?
This is the most important theme of the play.
What is memory or illusion?
The name of the apartment building the Wingfields live in.
What is the Sunset Arms?
This item at the end of the play symbolizes fading dreams.
Burning candles