The Glass Menagerie As A Modern Drama And Tragedy

The Glass Menagerie as a Modern Drama and Tragedy The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is classified as a modern drama and a modern tragedy. Modern drama plays are characterized by â€Å"social and cultural changes of America† and focus on more realistic matters. The characteristics of a modern drama allow for deeper characterization and understanding of the characters, and even lead to a more real and relatable lesson learned (Ableman). A play that falls under the category of a modern tragedy is one that appeals to the emotions of the reader. When something in the play appears to be sad or upsetting, it makes whoever is watching or reading it feel pity and in turn makes the audience sad themselves. Modern tragedies are geared to â€Å"mainly focus upon the life of the common people† and their struggles (Xd). The Glass Menagerie exhibits some of the specific qualities of both a modern drama and a modern tragedy through its various literary elements. The theme of th e hardship and difficulty of accepting reality, the motif of abandonment and the symbolism of blue roses and the glass unicorn, exemplify the certain qualities that allow a play to be characterized as a modern drama and a modern tragedy. The theme of the hardship of accepting reality in The Glass Menagerie is seen in the thin grasp that Laura has on reality itself. This is an effect of her shyness and her incapability to interact with other people. Her mother, Amanda, described an incident involving Laura as: And sheShow MoreRelated Essay on Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie1196 Words   |  5 PagesDesire and Glass Menagerie   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stagnant Lives of Blanche DuBois and Amanda Wingfield  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of Williams significant characters are pathetic victims--of time, of their own passions, of immutable circumstance (Gantz 110). 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