Realism, Family Relationships, and Memory

"The scene is memory and is therefore nonrealistic. Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart" (The Glass Menagerie, 1235).

In my first blog entry for this play, I'll comment on realism versus nonrealism, complex family relationships, and memories -- I came up with these three themes on my own, of course.

The quote above explicitly declares that this play -- or at least the first scene -- is memory, so it's also nonrealistic. I agree that there are many nonrealistic aspects of the play that derive from the fact that the audience is essentially viewing Tom's memory as if it's a video camera.

I noticed quite a few cues for music during the play, which is nonrealistic and very effective. "The Glass Menagerie" plays first when Laura doubts she will receive gentlemen callers, again when Tom hurls his coat at Laura's glass collection, and yet again when Tom and Amanda discuss Laura's future. It becomes a sort of theme song for Laura that connects events that revolve around her and the problems she faces as an extremely shy girl. Also, "Ave Maria" plays when Amanda is giving Tom the silent treatment, which is weird. Maybe it's supposed to parallel Tom's belated apology to her, but the fact remains that Williams didn't specify which "Ave Maria" he wanted to be played. If I were in charge, I would obviously pick Schubert's "Ave Maria."

Moving right along, I would say that this play is actually mostly realistic. A lot of the realism derives from human conditions, including complex family relationships. Amanda and Tom quarrel after Amanda interrupts his "creative labor" (1246). Tom goes to the movies because his own life lacks "adventure" (1252). Tom acts like his father throughout the play, to his mother's dismay -- genetics is realism, right? This kind of stuff occurs in normal, day-to-day life.