In this memory play, narrator Tom
Wingfield who is also a character in the play, tells the story from his
memories. Set in St. Louis in 1937, Tom works a tiresome job in a shoe
warehouse in order to support his mother, Amanda, and his sister, Laura. His
father, Mr. Wingfield, left the family years ago, and with the exception of one
postcard, has not been heard from since. But his presence is pervasive, as his
picture still hangs in the family’s living room. It is dinnertime in the
Wingfield home; and Amanda regales, once again, tales of her many suitors as a
young woman in the South. She is disheartened by Laura’s profound shyness and
her inability to attract men the same way she did.
In hopes of helping her gain some
confidence, Amanda enrolls Laura in a business college. Weeks later, Amanda
discovers that Laura has dropped out without telling her. Amanda decides
something must be done to find suitors for Laura. She starts selling magazine
subscriptions in order to earn extra money, something Amanda is sure to bring
the men calling.
Meanwhile, Tom is miserable at work
and seeks distraction in the movies, drinking, literature, and writing, much to
his mother’s disappointment. He knows his mother and sister rely on his income,
but he feels trapped. Tom and Amanda argue frequently, and during one of their
quarrels, Tom accidently breaks several of Laura’s prized glass figurines. The
next morning, Tom apologizes to his mother and they talk about his restlessness
and Laura’s prospects. She asks him to keep an eye out for “nice, young men” at
the warehouse to introduce to Laura.
A few days later, he invites Jim
O’Connor, a casual friend, home to dinner. Amanda is ecstatic and wants
everything to be perfect. The next evening, Amanda prepares an elaborate meal
and insists Laura wear a new dress. Laura is petrified, especially when she
discovers that Jim is the same person she had a crush on in high school. Tom
and Jim arrive, and Laura, still terrified, quickly leaves the room. The men
discuss their jobs at the warehouse, and Tom admits to Jim that he has used the
money for their electric bill to join the Merchant Marines and leave his job
and family, seeking adventure in the world. Throughout dinner, Laura feigns
illness while Amanda is a reincarnation of her flirty younger self.
As dinner ends, the lights go out as
a result of the unpaid electric bill. Candles are lit and Amanda encourages Jim
to keep Laura company while she and Tom clean up dinner. At first Laura is
paralyzed by her shyness when Jim joins her, but, once they start talking, she
begins to come out of her shell. They reminisce about how they knew each other
in high school and the nickname, “Blue Roses,” he had for her. Things continue
to go well between Laura and Jim and they enjoy each other’s company.
Amanda is overjoyed as Jim would be a gentleman caller for her ‘crippled’ daughter. However, her expectation is shattered at the end of the play while Tom leaves the family after an argument with his mother – a culmination of Tom’s suppressed anxiety and tension.
Sources:
- Study Guide Materials Compiled by Anna Miles
- G.C.E(A/L) Resource book provided by NIE
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