Critical Analysis of the Opening Scene of "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams

The main functions of an opening scene are to obtain the audience or reader's attention, introduce the characters and prepare the audience for later events in the play.
The Glass Menagerie starts with extensive stage directions about how the set should look, and information about the period the play is set in. The stage directions are full of metaphors concerning imprisonment and escape, also non-individuality. Tennessee Williams uses metaphors throughout the play to help to describe the scene or situation. When describing the Wingfield's apartment Williams uses the term 'vast hive-like conglomerations.' This suggests the inhabitants of these buildings are like worker bees, lacking individuality. A 'fundamentally enslaved section of American society' who operate as one. …