Another example of symbolism throughout The Glass Menagerie is relative to Tom. The fire escape, where Tom spends much of his time on in the play, is very symbolic of his desire to escape the informal boundaries he is trapped in. “In Spain there was Guernica! But here there was only hot swing music and liquor, dance halls, bars, and movies, and sex that hung in the gloom like a chandelier and flooded the world with brief, deceptive rainbows”. Evidently, Tom finds his true self in the small space of the fire escape and is one of the only places where he can express his true feelings – an element that is extremely important to the development of the play and providing an insight into his world. The fire escape also provides a temporary escape from the hellish world his mother creates for him within the walls of the apartment. His true feelings about his mother and the life she makes him lead arise when he states “Every time you come in yelling that Goddamn 'Rise and Shine! Rise and Shine!' I say to myself, 'How lucky dead people are!' But I get up. I go! For sixty-five dollars a month I give up all that I dream of doing and being ever!” Above all, the fire escape provides a symbolic representation of Tom’s short-term escape from his troubles, keeping reader’s interested and waiting on his next series of thoughts on his unfavourable lifestyle.
Used as a visual aid throughout The Glass Menagerie is the projector. Fundamentally the projector is used sparingly by Williams to assist readers understand exactly what is going on throughout the play. To achieve this, Williams applies a variety of images and text (which are sometimes repeated) relating to the particular scene at the time. Many examples of this include an image of a youthful Amanda sitting on the porch waiting for ‘gentlemen callers’ in Blue Mountain. Without this, readers would not have made a connection with Amanda’s character and sympathised with her desire for Laura to be provided for by a thriving gentleman, “I've seen such pitiful cases in the South - barely tolerated spinsters living upon the grudging patronage of sister's husband or brother's wife!” Another example of the projector being used occurs on the first time a ‘gentleman caller’ is mentioned. Obviously to Williams, it was clear that many readers may not have been aware of the term ‘gentlemen caller’. In response to this, a silhouette of a suited man, waiting at a door holding flowers is projected when the term was first used, and once again further into the play when Jim arrived at the apartment. If there were any doubts as to what a ‘gentlemen caller’ was, readers would have gained interest and acquired a greater understanding thanks to the visual aid used by Williams throughout the play.
The final form of stage techniques used to maintain the reader’s interest throughout The Glass Menagerie is the music and lighting. In certain scenes in the play, the lighting helps emphasize the main aspects. This is presented in one particular ‘dinner’ scene where Laura falls ill and separates herself from the group. Her detachment from the group is highlighted by a light being beamed on her while lying on the couch, while the rest of the group carry on dining in dim light. In this scene and many like it, Williams uses lighting powerfully to set the atmosphere and make a point within the play – another technique aimed at absorbing the reader’s interest.
As well as lighting is music or more suitably, special effects sounds – also used adeptly during the play. In the same ‘dinner’ scene, but earlier in the evening, Williams uses sounds to reflect Laura’s emotions when prompted to open the door to her first ‘gentleman caller’, “She is obviously quite faint, her lips trembling, her eyes wide and staring.” And on the Legend spells ‘TERROR!’ In order to mirror her interior feelings, Williams incorporates the loud roar of a thunder storm in her exterior environment. The use of sound in this scene contributes to its effectiveness, ultimately creating an anxious atmosphere for the reader to become immersed in.
Almost certainly the main technique used to maintain reader’s interest throughout The Glass Menagerie is Tom’s narrative perspective. For the duration of the play, Tom addresses the reader of past and present ultimately establishing a gateway into his life and his feelings about it. In scene one, Tom’s monologue becomes apparent, introducing the whole play and explaining his presence as both a main character and a narrator. On several other occasions throughout the play Tom narrates further, however, the most important being in the dying stages of the play. Here, it is several years later and Tom is standing in the remains of the apartment where he and family once occupied – he is speaking his thoughts about his sister Laura, “for nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura – and so good-bye…” Without Tom’s narrative role, a vital insight and directing role within the play would not be evident – a feature vital to the success of the play and the maintenance of the reader’s interest.
The effectiveness in maintaining reader interest throughout The Glass Menagerie takes place through unique directing techniques demonstrated by playwright Tennesse Williams. The use of lighting and music, symbolism and narrative perspective help piece together a compelling nostalgic drama that absorb the reader’s interest, ultimately keeping them engaged from the opening scene to the last.
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