The Music- Glass Menagerie Blog 1

     Music in the background is a small, but significant detail in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Later on in the play, it could even represent an important symbol. I would do anything to hear the music as it was throughout the play after all the scenes where it is played.  From what I can tell now, it is the kind of music that plays at the perfect time every time. I believe it is used to bring attention to certain scenes as a way to show that an important action just took place. Also, I believe that it helps the tone and mood to change in favor of the characters. For example, after Amanda found out that Laura had dropped out of school, the two had a huge fight. The way it ended was with Laura yelling that she is crippled, and her mother responds with, "'When people have some slight disadvantage like that, they cultivate other things to make up for it...'"(Williams 1244). With such a tense feeling after the emotions came out in that scene, the music helps to calm it down a bit. Lastly, the music also begins to draw some attention to the glass that Laura makes, and how that will clearly play a larger role as the play goes on.