The Glass Menagerie: Nonrealistic/Memory Play

     In Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, Tom narrates the story and describes the play as nonrealistic and a memory play.  Being the narrator the play is from Tom's perspective; the play consists of his memories.  This being the case the reader must remember that the person remembering may forget details, or exaggerate dome events.  Tom remembers his mother as being very forceful, demanding, and controlling.  One example of the play being nonrealistic is in the opening scene.  In the stage directions Williams states, "AMANDA and LAURA are seated at a drop-leaf table.  Eating is indicated by gestures without food or utensils," (Williams, 1237).  Here Williams does not have Amanda and Laura using real food or utensils they are pretending or mimicking the motion of eating.  This is nonrealistic because when people it they actually eat food and use utensils.  In a realistic play Amanda and Laura would have been eating real food with real utensils.  This detail illuminates the memory play aspect.  Tom does not recall what they were eating, and he does not find it significant to the story or his memory.