St. Louis, "An ugly city apartment building of mustard-colored brick, since demolished, it became the 'tenement' of The Glass Menagerie"(Leverich, 79). The apartment is cramped and dark, almost like a "jail cell"(Barron's Book Notes). Laura and Tom do not like the dismal atmosphere of the apartment, "The new apartment had only two small windows, in the front and in the rear rooms, and a fire escape blocked the smoky light from a back alley."(Spoto, 16). Tom uses the fire escape as a break from the real world, "As he climbs the few steps to the fire escape landing light steals up insideAt last he find the key, but just as he is about to insert it, it slips from his fingers. He strikes a match and crouches below the door."(Williams, 55).Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie, is drawn heavily upon Williams' family life and experiences; they are very much parallel to the events that occur in Williams' life. Tennessee's and Tom's whole life revolved around their mother and sister. They were struggling with life's cruel realities which they were not able to face and defeat, but instead, ran away from. Tom can not lose his memories of Laura. He needed to find his own identity and try to find a place for himself in the world.(Barron's Book Notes). If he had stayed with his mother and sister, their illusions and dreams would have deceived him. ...
