The Glass Menagerie Theme

"Tom speaks from the fire-escape landing."

Just after Amanda and Tom find out that Laura has dropped out of business college. Tom standing here whilst saying his aside emphasises how seperate Tom feels from the rest of his family. This emphasises how desperate Toms dreams are to leave his family and join the navy.

"He plunges out onto the fire-escape."

At the end of the play when Tom has finally found the courage to leave his family. The use of gesture emphasises how strong Toms will for escape is and  when he plucks up the courage to do so wants to do so as soon as possible.This shows how promenant Tom's dreams are to leave and join the navy.

"Image on screen: sailing vessel with Jolly Roger."

Scene 4 Tom and Amanda are discusising their plans for the future. Here the stage directions echo the characters dialogue at this point in the play, as they are discussing Toms dreams to join the navy and find adventure at sea (like pirates do). This image emphasies this dream.

"Image on screen: sailing vessel with Jolly Roger again."

Shown when Jim and Tom are discussing their future plans. here the stage directions emphasise Tom's reoccuring thoughts of leaving his family to join the navy. Showing the audiance how he is always thinking of his dreams/always on his mind.

"a delicte lemony light"

Before Jim arrives, Amanda and Laura are thinking about what having a gentleman caller could mean for the family. Here the staging suggest sunlight, brightness and hope. This creates a hopeful atmosphere, suggesting that Amanda and Laura are felling posative about Jims visit and what it could mean for the familys future. Shows how Amanda and Laura are under the illusion that Jim will solve all of their problems.

"I'll light the candles."

At the start of scene 7 when the electricity has just failed. Here Amanda's dialogue shows how she is preteniding everything is okay even when it clearly isn't and how Amanda choses to ignore the signs around her telling her this. Amanda is still under the illusion Jim will solve her and her family problems.

"Now he will feel more at home with the other horses."

Laura's reaction to Jim breaking her glass unicorn. Laura's dialogue tells us how just as Jim has broken the unicorn, meaning it looks more like the horses which surround it, so too has Jim affected Laura in such a way that she feels like she fits in and is no longer an outcast in society. Laura is under the illusion that Jim is going to solve all her problems.

"He swings her into motion."

Laura and Jim are dancing to the dance hall music. Here the reversal of the play shows how Jim brings out the best in Laura and helps her have a functional relationship with someone outside her family. This shows how although only breifly, Jim has helped Laura acheive her dreams of being happy and understood by others.

"I have travelled around a great deal."

End of play when Tom is saying his final speach after leaving the family household. The use of aside tells he audiance that Tom's dreams of leaving his family and exploring the world have finally been met as he is no longer in dialogue with Laura and Amanda (he has seperated himself from them). Shows that Toms dreams have finally been met.

"the idea of getting a gentleman caller for Laura played a more and more important role in mothers calculations."

Tom talking to the audiance after Laura reveals to the family that she has dropped out of business college.Here the expostition of the play highlights the importance to Amanda of finding Laura a gentleman caller. Highlights how determind Amandas dreams for a better life for Laura are and shows how she is under the illusion that a gentleman caller will bring this bettter life.

"He pulls on a cap witth earmuffs."

Amanda and Tom are arguening about what Toms should do in the future and when. He the staging of the earmuff shows how Tom choses to ignore the problems he faces in the hop that they will disapear. Tom is under the illusion that this will happen and instead his dreams of joing the navy will come true.

"a coloured paper lantern conceals the broken light fixture in the ceiling."

Here Amanda is preparing the family for Jims arrival. Here the stage directions tell the audiance how just as Amanda is covering up the flats faults, in the hope that Jim won't notice, so too is she dressing up Laura in the hope that Jim won't notice Laura's anxiety and limp. Shows the audiance that Amanda is under the illusion that she can hide and ignore her problems they will go away and no one will notice.