The Glass Menagerie

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Laura identifies with her glass unicorn, but she thinks it’s out of the ordinary until it loses its horn.

• Does Laura believe it is better to be unique or out of the ordinary? (topic sentence)
• What do Amanda, Tom, Laura, and Jim convey about being “normal” versus being different? Discuss at least three examples.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate whether Laura would be better off embracing her uniqueness or learning to live among the horses, and explain your choice.

2. In helping his family, Tom risks losing himself.

• Is Tom’s action at the end of the play selfish, desperate, or something else? (topic sentence)
• How does the tension between Tom and his mother over Laura’s needs threaten to destroy Tom’s life? Is some degree of selfishness necessary for his survival? Provide at least three examples that support your position.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether a person who’s desperately unhappy can or cannot help anyone else.

3. Amanda repeatedly tells the story of her happy youthful days.

• Besides security for Laura, what does a gentleman caller mean to Amanda? (topic sentence)
• How does Amanda’s behavior when Jim arrives reveal what his visit does for her, apart from her ambitions for Laura? Give three or more details from the text to support your answer.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why Amanda’s approach to helping Laura become independent is problematic.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. This is a memory play, as Tom says at the start, but he calls it truth in the form of an illusion. Is Tom a reliable narrator? For example, is his guilt warranted? He seems to think Amanda and Laura were unable to survive without him. What evidence in the play supports or contradicts his perception of the situation?

2. Amanda can’t let go of the past. How does Williams show that Amanda is clinging to the past? Give at least two examples. On the other hand, Amanda is keenly aware of the need to plan for the future or else live in “permanent regret.” Describe two or three ways Amanda tries to plan for Laura’s future and explain why they succeed or fail.

3. Laura chooses to live apart from reality—caring for glass animals, playing the same old records over and over, and spending time inside a “glass house” filled with tropical flowers. Jim sees that she’s unique and that the nickname he gave her in high school suits her. Unlike Amanda, Tom, and Laura herself, he doesn’t see her as weak or in need of assistance. How does Laura respond to Jim? What evidence in the play indicates how his visit changes—or doesn’t change—her life?