Glass Menagerie (Script Analyis)

Matt Goldstein Prof. Jones Scenography 15 February 2016 Glass Menagerie: Script Analysis WHERE What does the author list in the stage directions? •

 he e!act e!act opening stage directions directions are are as follo"s#  $he %ing&eld apart'ent is in the rear of the building( one of those )ast hi)e*li+e conglo'erations of cellular li)ing*units that ,o"er as "arty gro"ths in o)ercro"ded urban centers of lo"er 'iddle*class population and are sy'pto'atic of the i'pulse of this largest and funda'entally ensla)ed section of -'erican society to a)oid ,uidity and dierentiation and to e!ist and function as one interfused 'ass of auto'atis'  he apart'ent apart'ent faces an alley alley and is is entered by a &re* &re* escape( a structure "hose na'e is a touch of accidental poetic truth( for all of these huge buildings are al"ays burning "ith the slo" and i'placable &res of hu'an desperation. he &re*escape is included in the set * that is( the landing of it and steps descending fro' it.  he scene is 'e'ory 'e'ory and is is therefore therefore non*realisti non*realistic. c. Me'ory ta+es a lot of poetic license. /t o'its so'e details others are e!aggerated( according to the e'otional )alue of the articles it touches( for 'e'ory is seated predo'inantly in the heart. he interior is therefore rather di' and poetic. -t the rise of the curtain( the audience is faced "ith the dar+( gri' rear "all of the %ing&eld tene'ent. his building( "hich runs parallel to the footlights( is ,an+ed on both sides by dar+( narro" alleys "hich run into 'ur+y canyons of tangled clothes*lines( garbage cans( and the sinister lattice*"or+ of neighbouring &re*escapes. /t is up and do"n these alleys that e!terior entrances and e!its are 'ade( during the play. -t the end of o's opening co''entary( the dar+ tene'ent "all slo"ly re)eals by 'eans of a transparency3 the interior of the ground ,oor %ing&eld apart'ent. 4o"nstage is the li)ing*roo'( "hich also ser)es as a sleeping*roo' for aura( the sofa is unfolding to 'a+e her bed. pstage( centre( and di)ided by a "ide arch or second prosceniu' "ith transparent faded porti7res or second curtain3( is the dining*roo'. /n an old fashioned "hat*not in the li)ing* roo' are seen scores of transparent glass ani'als. - blo"n*up

•

•

• •

• • • • • • • • • •

•

• • • •

•

photograph of the father hangs on the "all of the li)ing*roo'( facing the audience( to the left of the arch"ay. /t is the face of a )ery handso'e young 'an in a doughboys First %orld %ar cap. 8e is gallantly s'iling( ineluctably s'iling( as if to say / "ill be s'iling fore)er. -lso hanging on the "all( near the photograph( are a type"riter +eyboard chart and a Gregg shorthand diagra'. -n upright type"riter on a s'all table stands beneath the charts.  he audience hears and sees the opening scene in the dining*roo' through both the transparent fourth "all of the building and the transparent gau9e porti7res of the dining*roo' arch. /t is during this re)ealing scene that the fourth "all slo"ly ascends out of sight. his transparent e!terior "all is not brought do"n again until the )ery end of the play( during o's &nal speech. 213 $:eing a 'e'ory play( it is di'ly lighted( it is senti'ental( it is not realistic.; /n 4ining roo'( $-'anda and aura are seated at a drop*leaf table. 3 She slo"ly lets herself in the door. 2>3 ? /s this a door( or "indo" leading to a &re escape@ 8ea)y annual yearboo+ on the cla"foot table3. -'anda enters "ith the telephone on a long e!tension cord AB3  he dining*roo' area is lit "ith a turgid s'o+y red glo". - "ild disarray of 'anuscripts on the type"riter table.  he glass 'enagerie. aura clings to the 'antel. - deep*)oiced bell in a church nearby tolls the hour. aura notices that o'Cs bed is e'pty ==3 -lar' cloc+ =63 $facing the "indo" on the gloo'y grey )ault of the area"ay. /ts light on her face is cruelly sharp.; =D3  o'Cs coat is ugly and bul+y. 8e pulls on a cap "ith ear'us. 5A3 %ool 'uEer that he snatches fro' the closet.  he dining roo'( "hich is shado"y 563 She opens the screen door 653 8e glances at hi'self in the 'irror. 663 e" ,oor la'p "ith sil+ shade. olored paper lantern conceals bro+en light &!ture in the ceiling. e" billo"ing "hite curtains. hint9 co)ers on the chairs and sofa. Pair of ne" sofa pillo"s. ong 'irror. D13

• • • •

• •

• • •

:o"l on the table. 4oorbell rings D=3 Fire*escape door. DD3 it by the incandescent 'arHuees and signs of the &rst*run 'o)ie houses nearby for' the &re escape. DB3 8ead resting on a pale blue pillo". B53 e" ,oor la'p ahs shade of rose*colored sil+ glo)es gi)es a soft( beco'ing light B53  he lights in both roo's ,ic+er and go out. B53 Music fro' the Paradise 4ance 8all across the alley. Pitcher of fruit punch and a plate "ith a gold border.

Various Projections (!ages and legends" egend on screen $Iu sont les neiges; 2=3 "here is the sno"3 /'age on screen# $-'anda as a girl on a porch( greeting callers.; 263 Screen i'age ? a s"ar' of type"riters A13 Screen i'age ? "inter scene in a par+ AA3 egend on screen $he crust of hu'ility; AA3 Screen i'age ? i' as the high school hero bearing a sil)er cup. Screen i'age ? blue roses egend on screen $after the &asco; Screen i'age ? a young 'an at the door of a house "ith ,o"ers Screen i'age ? the co)er of a gla'our 'aga9ine Screen i'age ? $you thin+ /C' in lo)e "ith ontinental Shoe'a+ers@; Screen legend ? he Glass Menagerie egend on screen ? $aura; 503 /'age on screen ? $- sailing )essel "ith Jolly Koger; 513 Screen legend $Plans and pro)isions; 523 egend on the screen $annunciation; /'age ? a caller "ith a bouHuet Screen i'age ? the cler+ egend on screen $the accent of a co'ing foot; egend on screen# a pretty trap. egend on screen# his is 'y sister# celebrate her "ith stringsL D13 egend on screen# $ot Ji'L; D23 egend on screen# $terrorL; D=3 • •

• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • •

• •

• • • • • • • • •

•

/'age on screen# e!ecuti)e at his des+ Screen legend# $-hL; egend# $Suspension of a public ser)ice; egend# $8aL; egend# $/ donCt suppose you re'e'ber 'e at all;. egend# $%hat ha)e you done since high school@; /'age on screen# blue roses egend# $a sou)enir; ? after the +iss egend# $hings ha)e a "ay of turning out so badlyL Ir i'age# Gentle'an caller "a)ing goodbye ? gailyL; egend# $he s+y falls;

What do the characters say a#out $here they are?  o' refers to the apart'ent as $this t"o*by*four situation; =53( li+ens it to a con. his place is cra'pedL  o' constantly feels stuc+ and con&ned by his li)ing situation.  hings 'ust be in )ery close Huarters for hi' to feel so suocated. -'anda calls it a pigsty( sloppy. /n order to 'a+e it presentable for a gentle'an caller( she 'ust polish the "edding sil)er( launder the 'onogra''ed table linen( and by a host of ne" furnishings. auraCs Glass Menagerie shel)es are not a co'pletely pri)ate space( although her ti'e "ith the 'enagerie is pri)ate. She says that the trac of people "al+ing by often sha+es the shel)es and causes glass pieces to brea+. •

•

•

•

Ho$ does each character %eel a#out the place they are in? -'anda feels at ho'e in the apart'ent( but is e'barrassed of its shoddy condition and its re,ection on their socio*econo'ic status. She &nds it to be run*do"n and not re,ecti)e of her high* class self*perception( a re'nant fro' her days in the South. She insists on 'a+ing it loo+ nicer before allo"ing a gentle'an caller to step foot in itL aura uses the apart'ent to hide fro' the "orld( only lea)ing it e!cept to ta+e "al+s around the city. he 'ost i'portant part of the apart'ent to her is her glass 'enagerie.  o' feels trapped by the apart'ent and yearns to tra)el and ad)enture( to 'a+e so'ething of his life. 8e resents his 'other for being o)erbearing( and "ants to escape this tiny apart'ent in search of the open sea.  Ji' 'isses his high school glory days( but is not hopeless about his current situation and setting ? 'erely disappointed. 8e see's •

•

•

•

neither udg'ental of the %ing&eld ho'e( nor particularly enraptured by it. Su!!ary:  he play ta+es place in the Saint ouis( Missouri( in the nited States( in the %ing&eld fa'ilyCs cra'ped apart'ent building.  his building has t"o )isible roo's( a li)ing roo' in "hich aura sleeps3 and a dining roo'( "hich is connected presu'ably to other bedroo's and a bathroo'. 3 auraCs boso' stued "ith t"o po"der pus "rapped in han+erchiefs. D03 -'anda "ears a girlish froc+ of yello"ed )oile "ith a blue sil+ sash. She carries a bunch of onHuils ? the legend of her youth is nearly re)i)ed. D13 She "ore this dress all throughout her youth( the day she 'et their father. •

•

•

•

•

•

• • •

•

•

'er $hat ti!e%ra!e does the play occur?  he play begins in February it is reference that( in January 6 "ee+s prior to scene 2( aura enrolled in her business classes3. :y the end of the play( spring is said to be arri)ing. hus( the action of the play li+ely ta+es place o)er the course of a 'onth or so.  ennessee %illia's 'a+es it very  clear that the play is a 'e'ory play( and o' e)en says $the play is 'e'ory.;