1a. Why does Laura say she won't be able to come to the table when she learns who the gentleman caller will be?
2a. What is Jim's nickname for Tom? Why does he call him that?
3a. What course is Jim taking in night school? Why?
4a. Identify ways in which Laura fails to meet Amanda's expectations for her.
5a. Decide whether Tom is going to realize his dreams.
1b. How does Laura feel toward Jim? How do you know? In what ways are Jim and Laura different?
2b. What attitude does Jim have toward Tom's writing? What comment is the playwright making about the role of the artist in a society driven by material success?
3b. Is Jim O'Connor the sort of man whom Amanda would want to have as a suitor for Laura? Why, or why not?
4b. Why does Laura rush to the phonograph after opening the door?
5b. In your opinion, if society values Jim O'Connor's belief in materialistic success over Tom's belief in artistic success, why do so many people dedicate themselves to an artistic life?
Character. Is Amanda a static or a dynamic character?
1a. What happens to the lights in the apartment? Why?
2a. What does Amanda ask Jim to do while she and Tom take care of the dishes?
3a. How does Laura react to Jim?
4a. How does Laura introduce Jim to her inner world?
5a. Considering the characters Tom, Amanda, Laura, and Jim, evaluate whether each views life realistically or unrealistically. Then rank the degree of realism each character possesses.
1b. How does being plunged in darkness affect the final scene of the play? What situation is thereby created for Jim and Laura? What might this darkness represent?
2b. Why does Amanda want to leave Jim and Laura alone together? In what sense is this "apparently unimportant" event the climax of Laura's "secret life"?
3b. How does Laura view Jim? What impact does the news of his engagement have on Laura?
4b. How does the significance of the unicorn change in this scene?
5b. Jim tells Laura she has an inferiority complex. Imagine that you are Laura's friend. What could you do and say that might help Laura get over her inferiority complex?
Theme. What sort of person is Jim? Would you describe him as optimistic or pessimistic? What indications does the play give that Jim is shallow, thoughtless, and egotistical?
Jim says, "You know, knowledge—ZSZZppp! Money —Zzzzzzpp! POWER! Wham! That's the cycle democracy is built on!" Do you agree with him? Why, or why not?
What has happened to the old, gracious way of life that Amanda remembers?
At the end of the play, Tom says, "I speak to the nearest stranger — anything that can blow your [Laura's] candles out! — for nowadays the world is lit by lightning!" How is Tom's phrase "lit by lightning" related to Jim's statements about television and electricity?
Is someone like Laura suited to life in the modern world? What theme does Williams develop by drawing this comparison between Jim and Laura?
Symbol. Complete the chart below. On the left list the symbols in act 2. On the right explain the meaning of these symbols. One example has been done for you.
the lightning that now lights the world, referred to by Tom at the end of the play
The lightning is symbolic of the stronger, less fragile forces that dominate the modern world.
1. According to the sociologist Erik Erickson, young people go through an identity crisis, a stage in which they attempt to break away from childhood and establish their own adult identities. This period in a person's life is often characterized by turmoil and uncertainty and sometimes involves conflicts with parents. In this play, Tom experiences an identity crisis and decides to break away for good from his family. Write a journal entry from Tom's point of view explaining how he views himself and why he feels he must break away to be the person he wants to be.
2. Choose either Laura, Tom, or Amanda as the main character of the play. Write a character sketch of the character you select, and argue why he or she is the main character.
3. A soliloquy is a speech delivered by a lone character that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings. Imagine that the narrator is Amanda instead of Tom and write her soliloquy at the end of the play.
Researching Setting. Research the setting of another play by Tennessee Williams to examine how setting figures in his work. What socio-economic groups do his characters come from? What information is revealed in the stage directions? What are the characters' dreams? In what moral and cultural context do their conflicts emerge? Write a composition comparing or contrasting the setting of the play you choose with the setting of The Glass Menagerie.
