What Is the Story of The Glass Menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie tells the story of the Wingfield family, comprised of faded Southern belle Amanda (the matriarch) and her two children, Tom and Laura. Tom is a restless dreamer frustratingly tethered to home, while Laura is a shy, crippled girl who spends her time admiring her collection of glass animals in lieu of social interaction. The play’s action is motivated by Amanda’s urging of Tom to bring home a "gentleman caller" for Laura, despite Laura’s timidity and Tom’s desire to get out from under his mother’s domineering hand.