The Glass Menagerie

by

Tennessee Williams

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Glass Menagerie makes teaching easy.

The Glass Menagerie Characters

Tom Wingfield

Amanda’s son and Laura’s brother, Tom plays a dual role in the play as both the narrator and protagonist. The play is from the perspective of Tom’s memories. He addresses the audience directly to frame… read analysis of Tom Wingfield

Amanda Wingfield

Tom and Laura’s mother. Amanda was a Southern belle in her youth, and she clings to this romantic vision of her past rather than accepting her current circumstances of poverty and abandonment. Amanda does not… read analysis of Amanda Wingfield

Laura Wingfield

Tom’s sister and Amanda’s daughter. Laura is deeply fragile, both emotionally and physically: she is painfully shy, and a childhood illness has left one leg slightly shorter than the other, making her walk with a… read analysis of Laura Wingfield

Jim O’Connor

The Gentleman Caller whose arrival in scene six spurs the play’s climax. Tennessee Williams’s stage directions describe Jim as “a nice, ordinary, young man.” Jim works with Tom at the warehouse. He and Tom were… read analysis of Jim O’Connor
Minor Characters
Mr. Wingfield
The absent father of Tom and Laura and husband of Amanda. He never appears on stage, but his portrait dominates the living room, and his presence looms throughout the play.