The Glass Menagerie Movie Vs Book
John Moore
ENG 102
Dr. Rubenstein
The Glass Menagerie Essay
Watching the film from 1973 of “The Glass Menagerie” and reading “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams was interesting and to compare the two was interesting. The two have some similarities and some differences. “The Glass Menagerie” plot is about a lower-middle class family living in St. Louis. Amanda and Tom argue constantly, and Laura is both physically crippled and painfully shy. Laura spends most of her time polishing her glass collection and listening to old records. Amanda strives to get Laura to break out of her shell and either attend business school, or find a young man to marry. Tom longs to quit his job working in a shoe factory to pursue the adventures he envisions from the movies he …show more content…
constantly watches. The play is about a mother Amanda and her two children Tom and Laura and the conflicts between them. The play and the film are very similar but do have some subtle differences.
The film and the play were both very good but the film helps me understand the play better.
Some of the differences between the play and film are the acting in this movie made the play not very interesting and at times the film was comical when the play was serious. The direction of the film did not deviate far from the original text. The characterization seems to be different from play to film with certain characters. In the text, Amanda is written as a frustrating woman whose only salvation from her distressing life is the memory of the endless procession of gentlemen callers from her younger years. Amanda thinks back on her earlier life and in comparison, her present life is tragic and heartbreaking. But in the film Amanda is a loud, obnoxious character who seems to always be disappointed in her children or always arguing with her children especially Tom, she does still focus on here gentlemen callers and her earlier life. The differences between the two scripts may be slim but there are some differences. One difference between the book and the movie is the use of the music and with the use of music it gets the viewers to have a mood. “The Glass Menagerie” is a
memory play and at the beginning of both the play and the film, Tom states, “In memory everything seems to happen to music”. The imagery is different from the play and the film because of the fact that when viewing the film there are a lot more images to be used. In the play Williams uses other images to get the audience engaged in the play. Even though this is stated in the film, there is only music in select parts of it. “He also experiments with light, music and an onstage screen on which words and images are projected” (Memory, Desire and the American Dream). So in the play there was a difference in how scenes were presented. Amanda’s personality also seems to be modified slightly from what it is in the play. She seems to have a bit of an anger problem and is also very annoying in the film. Another difference between the film and the play is the use of screen images. In the play an image that has something to do with what is happening is displayed on a screen many times. Some of Laura’s features that are in the play are also different in the film. “As not only is she incredibly shy, she has trouble walking and has to wear a brace on her leg, which causes her to feel even more socially awkward.” (Summary and Analysis). Laura had a brace on her leg during high school because of a disability but the brace was no longer on during the film. So the brace is not part of the film differing from the play. In the film Laura seemed like a normal person and you would probably not even be able to tell there was anything wrong with her had it not been for her family’s exaggeration of the disability. Amanda also acts a very much like she was still young expecting gentleman callers at any moment. When Jim comes over, Amanda flirts with him like she is the one trying to marry him instead of Laura. Tom also seems different in the film. In the film he is kind of creepy and it seems like he does not care much for his family and is just waiting for the chance to leave. In the play he seems like a good person who wants to do the best for his family but wants to get out. Those are the differences of the play and the film.
Some of the similarities are the dialogue was very close; if not word for word to the text. If any lines in the film differed from the original play, it was only because the film lines were paraphrased. The message of the play and film were both the same. They both equally got the message across even though the film seemed to be more comical at times. The symbolism of both the play and film was very similar both used the glass animals to connect the problems the cast members faced and to the message. Also both used the darkness in the room as a symbol when talking about the dance hall down the alleyway. The setting was exactly as Williams described it. Most of the play takes place in the family’s small apartment; a few scenes that are outside on the fire escape landing, where Tom goes outside to smoke. They both have the same setting and all the scenes take place in the apartment of the Wingfields. All the characters also remain the same consisting of only Amanda Wingfield, her children Tom and Laura, and Jim O’Connor the gentleman caller. “Everyone appears trapped in a fixed position, like the animals in glass. "It don 't take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin," says Tom, and, especially for him, it is the getting out that proves difficult” (Movie Review from Eye for Film). The basic plot of the play is exactly what the film shows as well. All the characters seem trapped in this life none of them want to be in. Similarities are more common between the book and film. As aforementioned the scripts are almost identical to one another and there are only a few sections in which the film strays from what is written in the play. “While Glass Menagerie occasionally trims or telescopes Williams ' script notably excising Tom 's opening monologue, it 's generally a faithful rendering” (Nothing Is Written). So the scripts were almost identical. Most of the characters, with the exception of Amanda, follow the personalities that are described in the play. The apartment is also set up the same way as it was in the play. Even outside the apartment was the same with the dance hall in the alley and the fire escape. The story lines of both the play and film were also the same. The film deviates little from the play with the exception of the differences mentioned above.
In comparing these the play, “The Glass Menagerie”, to the film, they are very similar in content. The differences lay in the personalities of the characters themselves and how they are portrayed. It seems like when creating the film they chose to stick as close to the book as possible. They strayed very little from the script and the setting.
Works Cited
"The Glass Menagerie: Summary and Analysis - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
"Nothing Is Written: A Film Blog: The Glass Menagerie (1973)." Nothing Is Written: A Film Blog: The Glass Menagerie (1973). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Memory, Desire and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams ' The Glass Menagerie." Memory, Desire and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams ' The Glass Menagerie. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
Movie Review from Eye for Film. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
ENG 102
Dr. Rubenstein
The Glass Menagerie Essay
Watching the film from 1973 of “The Glass Menagerie” and reading “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams was interesting and to compare the two was interesting. The two have some similarities and some differences. “The Glass Menagerie” plot is about a lower-middle class family living in St. Louis. Amanda and Tom argue constantly, and Laura is both physically crippled and painfully shy. Laura spends most of her time polishing her glass collection and listening to old records. Amanda strives to get Laura to break out of her shell and either attend business school, or find a young man to marry. Tom longs to quit his job working in a shoe factory to pursue the adventures he envisions from the movies he …show more content…
constantly watches. The play is about a mother Amanda and her two children Tom and Laura and the conflicts between them. The play and the film are very similar but do have some subtle differences.
The film and the play were both very good but the film helps me understand the play better.
Some of the differences between the play and film are the acting in this movie made the play not very interesting and at times the film was comical when the play was serious. The direction of the film did not deviate far from the original text. The characterization seems to be different from play to film with certain characters. In the text, Amanda is written as a frustrating woman whose only salvation from her distressing life is the memory of the endless procession of gentlemen callers from her younger years. Amanda thinks back on her earlier life and in comparison, her present life is tragic and heartbreaking. But in the film Amanda is a loud, obnoxious character who seems to always be disappointed in her children or always arguing with her children especially Tom, she does still focus on here gentlemen callers and her earlier life. The differences between the two scripts may be slim but there are some differences. One difference between the book and the movie is the use of the music and with the use of music it gets the viewers to have a mood. “The Glass Menagerie” is a
memory play and at the beginning of both the play and the film, Tom states, “In memory everything seems to happen to music”. The imagery is different from the play and the film because of the fact that when viewing the film there are a lot more images to be used. In the play Williams uses other images to get the audience engaged in the play. Even though this is stated in the film, there is only music in select parts of it. “He also experiments with light, music and an onstage screen on which words and images are projected” (Memory, Desire and the American Dream). So in the play there was a difference in how scenes were presented. Amanda’s personality also seems to be modified slightly from what it is in the play. She seems to have a bit of an anger problem and is also very annoying in the film. Another difference between the film and the play is the use of screen images. In the play an image that has something to do with what is happening is displayed on a screen many times. Some of Laura’s features that are in the play are also different in the film. “As not only is she incredibly shy, she has trouble walking and has to wear a brace on her leg, which causes her to feel even more socially awkward.” (Summary and Analysis). Laura had a brace on her leg during high school because of a disability but the brace was no longer on during the film. So the brace is not part of the film differing from the play. In the film Laura seemed like a normal person and you would probably not even be able to tell there was anything wrong with her had it not been for her family’s exaggeration of the disability. Amanda also acts a very much like she was still young expecting gentleman callers at any moment. When Jim comes over, Amanda flirts with him like she is the one trying to marry him instead of Laura. Tom also seems different in the film. In the film he is kind of creepy and it seems like he does not care much for his family and is just waiting for the chance to leave. In the play he seems like a good person who wants to do the best for his family but wants to get out. Those are the differences of the play and the film.
Some of the similarities are the dialogue was very close; if not word for word to the text. If any lines in the film differed from the original play, it was only because the film lines were paraphrased. The message of the play and film were both the same. They both equally got the message across even though the film seemed to be more comical at times. The symbolism of both the play and film was very similar both used the glass animals to connect the problems the cast members faced and to the message. Also both used the darkness in the room as a symbol when talking about the dance hall down the alleyway. The setting was exactly as Williams described it. Most of the play takes place in the family’s small apartment; a few scenes that are outside on the fire escape landing, where Tom goes outside to smoke. They both have the same setting and all the scenes take place in the apartment of the Wingfields. All the characters also remain the same consisting of only Amanda Wingfield, her children Tom and Laura, and Jim O’Connor the gentleman caller. “Everyone appears trapped in a fixed position, like the animals in glass. "It don 't take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin," says Tom, and, especially for him, it is the getting out that proves difficult” (Movie Review from Eye for Film). The basic plot of the play is exactly what the film shows as well. All the characters seem trapped in this life none of them want to be in. Similarities are more common between the book and film. As aforementioned the scripts are almost identical to one another and there are only a few sections in which the film strays from what is written in the play. “While Glass Menagerie occasionally trims or telescopes Williams ' script notably excising Tom 's opening monologue, it 's generally a faithful rendering” (Nothing Is Written). So the scripts were almost identical. Most of the characters, with the exception of Amanda, follow the personalities that are described in the play. The apartment is also set up the same way as it was in the play. Even outside the apartment was the same with the dance hall in the alley and the fire escape. The story lines of both the play and film were also the same. The film deviates little from the play with the exception of the differences mentioned above.
In comparing these the play, “The Glass Menagerie”, to the film, they are very similar in content. The differences lay in the personalities of the characters themselves and how they are portrayed. It seems like when creating the film they chose to stick as close to the book as possible. They strayed very little from the script and the setting.
Works Cited
"The Glass Menagerie: Summary and Analysis - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
"Nothing Is Written: A Film Blog: The Glass Menagerie (1973)." Nothing Is Written: A Film Blog: The Glass Menagerie (1973). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Memory, Desire and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams ' The Glass Menagerie." Memory, Desire and the American Dream in Tennessee Williams ' The Glass Menagerie. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
Movie Review from Eye for Film. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.