The Glass Menagerie Thesis Statement In this article I have attempted to provide a detailed insight into what young Laura (a depiction of Williams' sister) experienced in the her mother's (Williams' mother) life to find her a husband, the agony she experienced and Tom's (Williams) rebellious attitude towards life. Although Tom wants to live and love his life, he finds it difficult to satisfy this desire. In my hypotheses Laura, the crippled girl remains the fragile piece of glass. The Glass Menagerie was an autobiographical play by Tennessee Williams about himself, his mother, and his sister (Falk). Launched in 1944, the play represented the beginning of the brilliant and controversial career of this unconventional American playwright. Set in St. Louis during the depression of the 1930s, it is the moving drama of the continuing abrasion of a family, under pressures both internal and external (London and Lumley). It is the story of a frustrated mother who is inclined to persuade her wayward son to provide a "gentleman caller" for her shy, paralyzed daughter. However, her romantic dreams are shattered by the interference of harsh reality. According to Bloom, the work is Tom Wingfield's self-described "memory game" (p. 21). The show revisits the time when his family wishes to escape their insubstantial existence by creating quintessential fantasy worlds (O'Connor). Amanda tries to overcome the family's dejected state of affairs with the accompaniment of kindness and places all her hopes on the expectation that Laura will marry and relieve them from destitution. However, Laura is extremely prudish and cannot handle the pressures of the outside world. She spends her days isolated in the park or taking care of the glass figurines she collects. "The glass breaks... in the middle of the paper... as a tale of the cruel society we live in and the characters they do not inhabit. Works Cited Bloom, Harold, ed. The Glass by Tennessee Williams Menagerie (Modern Critical Interpretations ). New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Ellis, Sara, Tennessee Williams' Classic 'Menagerie' At Jmu Nov. 12-16, School of Theater and Dance, October 24, 2002, available at http://www.jmu. edu/jmuweb/general/news/general_2002102485659.shtml, accessed 06/24/03 Falk, Signi L. Tennessee Williams New York: Twayne Publishers, 1961. Lumley, Frederick Trends in 20th Century Drama New York: Oxford University Press, 1960 O'Connor, Jacqueline Dramatizing Dementia: Madness in the Plays of Tennessee Williams Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1997. Williams, Tennessee, introduction to The Glass Menagerie Bray.1999.