The Glass Menagerie : Scene 7 Analysis

The Glass Menagerie:Scene 7 Analysis Nadine Abulencia Michael Diamond Kristoffer Domingo

Summary Last scene of the play where Jim is sent to entertain Laura after the dinner. Jim and Laura get to know each other in this scene. Laura becomes more confident with Jim Jim accidentally breaks Laura’s favorite glass menagerie, a unicorn. Jim kisses Laura; Laura’s first kiss Jim is actually engaged to be married, breaking the hopes of Amanda that Laura will be married off. Ends with a silent pantomime of Amanda comforting Laura while Tom narrates that despite leaving his family he cannot escape his memories of Laura.

Themes: Ilusion/Fantasy • Laura’s fantasy world with her glass menagerie • Impression of false love between Laura and Jim. • Jim is already engaged

Themes: Love • Amanda’s maternal love • False love between Laura and Jim • Tom’s love for Laura and being unable to forget her

Themes: Escape/Imprisonment • Laura overcomes her shyness • Amanda is a suffocating presence • Always there though she is not on stage • ‘girlish laughter’ • Tom finally escapes from his mother by leaving to join the Merchant Seamen • Still trapped by memories of Laura

Themes: Fragility • Unicorn breaking = Laura overcoming her shyness • Like the unicorn, Laura is fragile

Staging Devices: Lighting • Lighting  links to the characters and reveals inner feelings • Failure of lights • Lights fail (in Scene 6) because Tom used the money meant for the electricity bill to sign of for the Merchant Seamen. • Symbolizes that Amanda and Laura will now have to learn to live without Tom’s support. • Hopelessness of Amanda’s dreams for her daughter • Wingfields are ‘in the dark’ about Jim’s engagement

Staging Devices: Lighting • Candelabrum • Jim carrying candle to Laura symbolizes romance and religion • Candelabrum shows ominous signs • It was in a church when it melted out of shape when the church burnt it down and lightning struck it as well • Symbolism of death is emphasized • Laura • Enjoys watching the light that passes through her glass figurines • Reminder of the theme of fantasy/illusion

Staging Devices: Lighting • Jim • Jim associated with light because of The Torch! (the yearbook)which contrasts to Laura who is in the dark (keeps to herself) • Laura worshipping the yearbook because she was really worshipping Jim. • Incompatibility of Laura and Jim (though ironically they get along) • Jim met Betty “on a moonlight boat trip up the river” (pg. 48) and moonlight is a much stronger light than the candle that Jim brought to Laura in the living room • “The holy candles in the altar of LAURA’s face have been snuffed out” (pg. 48) • End of Laura’s hope to ever be with Jim

Staging Devices: Lighting • End Scene • Narrator associates light with Laura like she is precious. • Tom cannot rid his guilt of leaving Laura

Staging Devices: Music • Laura’s theme music is the glass menagerie • Light, delicate, and saddest music • Represent beauty and how easily it can be broken (spinning glass) • Begins (pg. 43) when Laura gives her unicorn to Jim • Sign of trust to Jim • Overcoming shyness • Music pauses (pg. 46) when Jim says that she’s pretty • Might indicate a change in Laura • “Music swells tumultuously” (pg. 47) when Jim kisses Laura • Emphasizing overwhelming emotions

Staging Devices: Music • [WALTZ MUSIC ‘LA GOLONDRINA’.] (PG. 44) • La Golondrina is a Spanish song that describes the sentiment of wanting/desiring to go back to the homeland using the imagery of a swallow • Parallels to Laura  described like a bird previously • Parallels to Laura  Laura’s desire for Jim • Parallels to Tom  Tom’s nostalgia about reminiscing his past

Staging Devices: Screen/Legend • Pg. 36 – “[I DON’T SUPPOSE YOU REMEMBER ME AT ALL]” • Laura about to meet Jim • Very explicit - mocks our intelligence • Pg. 50 - “[THE SKY FALLS]” • Laura’s agony • Pg. 48 – “[THINGS HAVE A WAY OF TURNING OUT SO BADLY]” • Ironic and foreshadows Jim’s admittance of being engaged • Turns out badly for Amanda as well • Pg. 51 – “[AND SO GOOD-BYE]” • Finality of the scene and Jim’s memories

Staging Devices: Others • Silent pantomime in the end brings a full close to the play • “Mimed Meal” vs. Amanda comforting Laura • Represents a cycle which one cannot escape from • Emphasis on the expressionism aspect of the play

Characterization: Amanda • Experienced a return to girl-hood: Wondering where the lost years went • “Tonight I’m rejuvenated” • Resentful (upset): When she found out that Tom didn’t know that Jim was engaged. • Pg. 50 - “What a wonderful joke you played on us!” • Pg. 51 - “Then go to the moon - selfish dreamer!” • Domineering (treats him like a child): towards her son • Pg. 36 - “Now, Thomas, get into this apron!”

Characterization: Amanda • Experienced a return to girl-hood: Wondering where his lost years went • Pg. 36 “Amanda’s gay laughter”

Characterization: Jim • Has a healthy sense of humor as well as wit • Pg. 35 - “Shakespeare probably wrote a poem on that light bill, MrsWingfield.” • Romantic: • Pg. 35 - “Candlelight is my favorite light.” • Gives wine, sitting floor together, dancing together, he kisses her, candlelight • Knows how to flatter people just the right way • Pg. 35 - “Aw, now, MrsWingfield!” • He’s nice  listens (attentive) to Laura talk about her menagerie, polite to Amanda • Diffuses argument with jokes

Characterization: Jim • Others believe he’s romantic: • Pg. 35 - “That shows you’re romantic! But that’s no excuse for Tom.” • His presence is rejuvenating: • Pg. 35 - “nobody’s given me this much entertainment in years.” said by Amanda

Characterization: Jim • Has a healthy sense of humor • Pg. 34 -“JIM laughs appreciatively” • Put Laura at ease (casual): • Pg. 36 - “I like to sit on the floor.” • Portrayed as clumsy as he hits the table causing the unicorn to fall and break. • Pg. 45 - “Did something fall off it? I think-”

Characterization: Jim • Confident and bold (sure about himself) but still nice: • Pg. 47 “He catches hold of her hand.” • Jim is warm and humorous: • Pg. 36 - “Jim’s warmth overcomes her paralyzing shyness” “...gently humorous.” • Jim can be oblivious to certain matters of the heart: • Pg. 48 - “BUT Jim is oblivious, she is a long way off.”

Characterization: Tom • Decides that he is sick of his mother and wants to leave: • Pg. 51 - “The more you shout about my selfishness the quicker I’ll go,” • He is not very social at his work: • Pg. 51 - “The warehouse is where I work, not where I know things about people!”

Characterization: Tom • Careless according to mother: • Pg. 35 - “Tom as a penalty for your carelessness you can help me with the dishes.” • Selfish: • Pg. 51 - “Then go to the moon - you selfish dreamer!”

Characterization: Tom • Submissive and obedient towards mother • Pg. 36 - “Now, Thomas, get into this apron!” • Naivety: Choosing the wrong gentleman caller for his sister • Pg. 51 - “You didn’t mention that he was engaged to be married.”

Characterization: Laura • She is nervous: • Pg. 36 - “[faintly] Hello. [She clears her throat] • Submissive and compliant: • Pg. 36 - “Oh...[hands him one quickly]” • She becomes more open; opening up to a Jim (Gentleman caller): • “I had to drop out it gave me - indigestion.”

Characterization: Laura • Jim considers her pretty: • Pg. 47 - “It’s right for you! - You’re pretty!” • She has low self-esteem an inferiority complex: • Pg. 42 - “That’s what they call it when someone low-rates himself!” • She has a sense of humor: • Pg. 46 - “I am glad to see that you have a sense of humor!”

Characterization: Laura • She becomes confident enough to show people her collection • Pg. 42 - “Collection I said - I have one - [she clears her throat and turns away, acutely shy.]” • She seems to change for the better as she accepts what Jim says • Pg. 48 - “She bites her lip which was trembling and then bravely smile.”

Characterization: Laura • She is very nervous as she sits away from the main group as well as pensive: • Pg. 34 - “LAURA is till huddle upon the sofa...her eyes wide and mysteriously watchful.” • She learns to accept things the way they are: • Pg. 51 - “she lifts [the unicorn] to smile at her mother.”

Symbols: Light • Use of the candelabra as a source of light • p. 35 – “I’ll give [Jim] this lovely old candelabrum…” – Amanda • p. 36 – “Where shall I set the candles?” – Jim • Reveal’s character’s innermost feelings

Symbols: Candle (End Scene) • Blowing candles out – symbolizes the end • Might imply that Tom’s family died after he left (theater) • “Nowadays the world is lit by lightning”

Symbols: Giggling p. 43 – “A peal of girlish laughter from the kitchen” p. 47 – “There is a peal of girlish laughter from AMANDA in the kitchen.” • Amanda’s constant pressure, suffocating presence • May also be considered as her indirectly mocking or undermining Laura (due to timing) • Old way of bringing two potential couples together • Amanda’s child-like aspect, as a giggle is usually attributed to youthful females

Symbols: Glass Menagerie Laura’s fantasy world Animals move, but ironic cause Laura’s glass menagerie doesn’t move (animals are trapped like Laura)

Symbols: Glass Unicorn • Aspect of Laura’s life/herself • Symbolizes how Laura’s old fashioned, whose characteristics are gone in the modern world • p. 44 – “Unicorns, aren’t they extinct in the modern world?” (Jim) • Could be her love for Jim, or her sense of reality • How Jim is causing a change in Laura’s view/life • p. 44 – “Put him on the table. They all like a change of scenery once in a while!” (Laura)

Symbols: Glass Unicorn Breaking • Glass is see through = Laura is empty inside • Confirmation of Laura’s emotions, as she may be “like everyone else” (more like a regular human girl than one who lives in fantasy) • p. 46 – “The horn was removed to make him feel less – freakish! Now he will feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don’t have horns.” – Laura • Sense of a fantasy world broken, due to her establishing contact once again with the real world through her interaction with Jim • Laura facing reality head on

Symbols: Giving Jim the Unicorn Laura’s release of her fantasy world Unrequited (perhaps fantasy-like) love for Jim

Other Important Quotes “JIM: Aw, aw, aw. Is it broken? LAURA: Now it is just like all the other horses. JIM: It’s lost its— LAURA: Horn! It doesn’t matter. . . . [smiling] I’ll just imagine he had an operation. The horn was removed to make him feel less—freakish!” (pg. 45-46) • Laura has become just like the rest of the other people. • Due to her encounter with Jim she becomes a normal lady, she now belongs with everyone else.

Other Important Quotes “You selfish dreamer” (Pg. 51) • That Tom is selfish, only dreaming about things for himself, not his mother nor his sister. • He wants to escape into his dreams so as not to deal with his mother.

Other Important Quotes “Glass breaks so easily. No matter how careful you are.” (Pg. 46) • Reference to Laura • About how fragile things are always fragile and thus can break from the smallest movements. • This cannot be changed, meaning that after a set period of time the fragile thing will break regardless of the care with which it is carried.

Other Important Quotes “You don't know things anywhere! You live in a dream; you manufacture illusions!” (Pg. 51) Amanda to Tom • Tom just dreams about things but does not act on them. • Content to live on his illusions/dreams and let reality pass by him. Just so long as he’s able to enjoy his illusions.

Other Important Quotes “I didn't go to the moon, I went much further — for time is the longest distance between two places.” (Pg. 51) • Tom travels away from his mother and his sister seemingly to never meet them again. • He does not necessarily travel a long distance but since he does not see them for a long time it’s a long distance regardless.

Connections to The Visit: Jim and Laura’s Reunion • Similar to The Visit’s Clara and Ill • Had known each other in their childhood • Glass Menagerie – High school years • The Visit – Also during high school (childhood) • Female had borne an unrequited love (more so for Laura than for Clara) • Glass Menagerie – Never got to be with Jim due to her shyness • The Visit – Clara had once been with Ill, but was left behind after her pregnancy • Plenty of dialogue relating to reminiscing about the past • Glass Menagerie – Almost all of Scene 7 focuses on this • The Visit – scattered in Act 1 & 3

Connections to The Visit:Similarity of Laura and Clara • Speaking mannerism is similar; both speak in short, concise sentences • Laura – due to her shyness, lack of courage to speak • Clara – lack of a humanity, almost “artificial” • Almost seems to be lacking emotion (at some points)

Connections to The Visit:Similarity of Jim and Ill • Tends to have long lines of dialogue when speaking • Having plenty of feeling and emotion into his words • Jim – due to his confidence in speaking in public • Ill – just reminiscent of the past, speaking his thoughts out loud. Somewhat charismatic, as he was once considered as the most popular male in the town

Purpose of Scene 7 + Consequences of Omitting Scene • Tom’s escape • Jim being trapped (attached to Betty) • Closing of Tom’s memories • Awakening and escape into reality of Laura • Consequences? • No way to close/end the play • Unresolved problems of Laura and Jim

Pictures http://flatearththeatre.com/shows/the-glass-menagerie.html http://www.huntington.edu/news/0708/glass-menagerie.htm http://www.theoldglobe.org/pressphotos/the_glass_menagerie.html http://theplastichippo.wordpress.com/category/literature/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/60376848@N00/359770438/ http://akorra.com/2010/03/04/top-10-arguments-for-the-death-penalty/ http://www.thesoundtracktoyourlife.co.uk/product,5485,Glass_Menagerie.html http://www.whataboutclients.com/ http://www.myspace.com/katharine_hepburn1907 http://www.hope.edu/hsrt/shows/Past%20Seasons/1996/1996.htm

The Glass Menagerie : Scene 7 Analysis