The Glass Menagerie

by Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie: Style 1 key example

Style
Explanation and Analysis:

As a memory play, The Glass Menagerie features frequent narration from Tom, who addresses the audience directly. This interferes with the "illusion" of theater as reality, but it also allows for a more direct style of diction. Rather than clouding his themes in ambiguity, Williams explicitly addresses the concerns of the play—such as illusion as a means of escape, the struggles of American families following the Great Depression, how to reckon with unforgettable memories—which perhaps motivates the audience to more closely examine the scenes.