The Glass Menagerie: Tom's Diction

     Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie uses a narrator to create a nonrealistic play and to give insight not only into Tom's life but into the entire family's as well.  His language or diction as a narrator and as a character differ throughout the play.  As a narrator Tom talks in first person but also in the past tense.  This helps him to retell the story as he remembers it.  When Tom is functioning as a character, he also talks in first person but he talks in the present; it is almost as if the audience is seeing the memory happen again.  An example of Tom talking as the narrator occurs at the beginning of the play in his opening monologue.

" 'Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve.  But I am the opposite of a stage magician.  He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth.  I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion'," (Williams,1236).

 Also as the narrator Tom speaks more eloquently and fluidly.  He also speaks directly to the audience.

" 'I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it'," (Williams, 1237).

Here as himself the character, Tom speaks to the other characters and speaks more colloquially.  In this particular scene Tom is speaking to his mother Amanda.