ABSTRACT

Tennessee Williams is the famous playwright in America. The Glass Menagerie is his master work. The Glass Menagerie shows the consistent theme of his works – the suffering of the American southerners under the impact of changing times. Experienced the most serious economic depression in US in the 20th century and the torment from changing times of people in southern society, he expresses their living straits and bitterness inside in his dramas. 

The Glass Menagerie narrates the story of a family which father had left and only mother Amanda, Sister Laura, Brother Tom stuck together and helped each other in difficulties. Each member in the family wouldn’t like to face the reality and escaped from the reality through variety of ways. This fact is caused by the absence of the character of father. The effect of father’s absence cannot be ignored. This drama is affected by Tennessee Williams’ family situation seriously because the characters in the drama could correspond with Williams’ family members respectively.

This thesis aims to study and analyze the father’s absence in The Glass Menagerie. The article includes to six parts. The first part is to introduce The Glass Menagerie totally from the author, the social and historical background and the play itself. After showing detailed information of the drama, the second part analyzes the origins of the father’s absence. It relates to the elements of historical background and family. And the third part narrates the influence of father’s absence on the other family members. The fourth part narrates father’s importance to the growth of the children, analyzes the influence of father’s absence further. And the fifth part analyzes the image of the absent father. The last part concludes above analysis.

Tennessee Williams shows the depression and desire the people faced in that time. And he expresses his own feeling and views in the play. Father’s leaving is the compelling of the depressive time. His absence inflicted great damage to his family members and put the whole family into dilemma. And if we put the father’s absence in that time to see, it has certain cultural connotation and religious image.

Key words: economic crisis; American south; father; absence; escape; culture; religion

CONTENTS

摘要

Abstract

1.-Introduction-1

1.1-About the author-2

1.2-Social and historical Background-5

1.3-About the play-5

1.4-Thesis-5

2.-The Origins of Father’s Absence-6

2.1-Historical Background-6

2.2-Family background-7

3.-The Influence of Father’s Absence on the Other Family Members-8

3.1-The influence of Father’s absence on Amanda-9

3.2-The influence of Father’s absence on Tom-10

3.3-The influence of Father’s absence on Laura-11

4.-Father’s Importance to the Growth of the Children-12

5.-The Image of the absent Father-15

5.1-The absent father’s cultural connotation-15

5.2-The Absent father’s religious image-16

6.-Conclusion-18

References-19

Acknowledgements-20