d addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol. February 24, 1983,Tennessee Williams choked to death on a bottle cap at his New York City residenceat the Hotel Elysee. He is buried in St. Louis, Missouri.Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, is about the Wingfeild family, themother Amanda and here two children Tom and Laura. Amanda has a life that iscentered around finding a gentleman friend for her daughter Laura, a husband. Tomworks in a shoe warehouse. Laura is crippled, she has one leg shorter than the otherand lives a very insecure life and is afraid people will make fun of her. Laura has acollection of glass figures that she uses for an escape from reality, and also listens tothe phonograph. Laura quit college and didnt tell her mother for weeks because shewas afraid that her mother would be upset, which she was. Laura went as far as towalk around St. Louis for eight hours a day, rather than admit to her mother shedropped out of Business College.Amanda criticizes Tom from everything from eating to how to wear his hair. Toms mother constantly is nagging at him to ask a gentleman caller to visit from thewarehouse he works. Tom finally agrees to bring home a gentleman caller. Jim, thegentleman caller, is a man who went to high school with both Tom and Laura. Laurahad a crush on Jim long ago because he was nice to her back in high school. When Jim comes calling, Amanda is very persistent that Laura answers the door. Laura isvery insecure with herself and doesnt want to go to the door, Laura pleads with her mother not to make her answer the door. At first Laura is still shy and gets sickbefore dinner, but later on her and Jim actually get to visiting some. They talk aboutwhen Jim called Laura Blue Roses back in high school. Jim listens to Laurasmemories of him from high school and uses those memories to give Laura the feelingthat he thinks she needs. Even though Laura is still a bit uneasy about the evening,Jim does begin to...
