The Glass Menagerie

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

I never liked the stand watch not at any hour

But the watch I hate most is the one called the dog watch

I'd rather scrub the deck, I'd rather polish brass

and scrape of rot than have to stand that watch

It begins at 4 in the morning and last until daybreak

Those are the hours when a man

plays solitaire with a deck of old cards,card

Yes,that's right,you remember, you remember the place,certain people in it

I remember this city,a large mid western city,the washed out midland

I remember so well the early morning sun tingling its way through the streets

in eerie ways

I remember certain alleys,where life began reluctantly in the morning

The back of a building covered with a network of iron railings

stairs called the fire escape

And a dusty brick of walls concealing furious

and desperate living in shabby rooms

Mother had hung a pair of white laced curtains as if this to hide us

from the unattractive reality of the world

and city and neighbourhood that we lived in

Inside those curtains was our place of residence,apartment at second floor south

It was the light on my sister collection of glass

that first caught my eyes when I woke up in the morning

Little glass animals that was as fragile as Laura

Oh,yes,there was also the ever presence smile of my father

He was a telephone man who fell in love with long distance

The last we heard from him was a postcard containing two words

Hello,Good-bye

And no address

This is how I remember our living and welding together

Rise and Shine,Laura

Laura ,honey

So let that brother of yours to get up

Tom

Tom,it's after seven

Rise and Shine

All right but I won't rise

Tom,apologize to mother

For what?

You made her very angry last night when you slammed the door into her face

She squalled

Somebody slammed it,and if you apologize let you start beaten

Why not speaking, is that such a tragedy

-Please Tom -All right,all right.I tell her I'm sorry

I'll tell her I'm sorry for living

Laura

Didn't I ask you to go to delicatessen to get some butter?

Yes mother

Do I have to conjecture to go out for it myself

No mother

Butter and what else?

Corn and butter and tell him to charge it

Mr Schulz makes such a terrible face when I say that

Sticks and stones can break my bones

A look on Mr Schulz's face is not going to hurt me

Honey,try to look like a lady on the street

we don't want to imitate our common neighbors

Common can be contagious,honey! Unless you have a resistance

Someone is going to break a leg on these fire escape,.

that landlord ought to be be sued for every pence he persists

I forgot I'm not talking to you

Good Morning

Mother,mother I apologize,I'm sorry we quarreled last night

I make myself hateful to my children

No,you don't

I've had to put up with a solitary battle all these years

but you're my right- hand bower

-Don't fall down,Tom,don't fail -I'll try

In time you will succeed

-Promise me one thing,Tom -What mother?

Promise me you'll never be a drunkard

I'll promise I'll never be a drunkard,give me this toast

In these trying times we live in, all we have to cling to is each other

Yes mother

That's why it is so important to..

Tom,Tom I sent your sister out so I could discuss with you

If you haven't spoken to me, I would have spoken to you

What do you want to discuss?

Laura

I'm late,ma

You got a minute

You know how Laura is so quiet,but still water run deep and she notices things

I think she broods about it

The other day I came in and she was crying

What about?

-By you. -Me?

She has an idea that you are not happy here

What gave her that idea?

Don't give her any ideas

But you do act strange,Tom,I'm not criticizing you,but life hasn't been easy

Yes mother

So many things in my heart I can't describe to you,Tom

But all this foresight,I love your father

I know that

When I see you taken on his way

But what has that got to do with Laura?

She says you hate the apartment,and you go out nights to get away from it

Is that true Tom?

No,look mother,you say that there are so many things in your heart

that you can't describe to me

That's true of me too

There are so many things in my heart that I can't describe to you

Tom

Let just respect each others feelings

Sit down you hadn't had your porridge.

I don't want any porridge,do you want me to punch late at the warehouse?

That warehouse won't collapse if you are five minutes late,I must talk about Laura

What about her?

-You are shouting -I'm not shouting

Yes you were shouting

Tom,we got to make amends and provision,that's what it is about

You've made provisions,you badgering me take all my savings

and investing them in this business course for her which is an absolute waste

Why is it a waste to prepare her?

Because she is not cut out for it,mother

I tried everything else.Will you name me one stone your mother left unturned?

I've even talked at the Young People League at The Church,of Theatrical

She spoke to nobody,nobody spoke to her

All she does right now is fool with those pieces of glass,

and play those worn-out records

I don't know if that's any kind of life for a pretty girl to believe in

I guess she is the type of people call home girl

There is no such type

And if there is,it's a pity, this is her own home,

with her own husband sitting in it

I can see the hand writing on this wall

And terrifying.I mean,in the way you remind me of your father

You got the wandering bug, the same as he has

I saw that letter from the Merchant Marine,I saw it

What where?

They accepted your application

You had no..Give me that letter

Give it to me

I know what you are out to

When did this arrive?

Yesterday,and I haven't had a minute of peace since I opened it

All right.All right you go. You go which ever way

the wind drifts you north south east or west

Not until somebody here to take your place young man

What are you talking about?

You know what I'm talking about

I mean that you are going to be free of responsibilities

when your sister is married and got a home of her own

Then,and not until then

You're a man,you will able to think of someway to help your sister

You don't think of anything, anything but self,self,self

Tom,put your shirt in

Tom,don't you know some nice young man who can come and call on your sister?

-What? -A nice gentleman calling..

Mother what are you thinking..

There you are Laura,honey

Mother,you should have heard Mr Schulz said when I asked him to charge him

Don't you quote that mercenary man to me

I don't want to know what he said now or ever

I was so embarrassed mother

You don't get you embarrassed in this world,honey

Don't you get embarrassed by anybody over anything at all ever

You just remember that the Wingfields

the first white people settle on the soil of Mississippi

You said it

Laura,Laura,you'll be late for your typing class

Yes,mother

Oh,honey,look you haven't had breakfast

I don't want anything,I'm going to have an exam today

You can't type on an empty stomach

Now sit down

Please don't make me eat anything I'll get something later

Honey,let me see your purse

Give me your purse

Just as I thought,empty

How you going to eat,how are we going to get to your typing class

You were going to walk,weren't you?

Now look,that is the car fare, lunch and car fare

-Bye Tom -Good-bye

Bye,honey

Use the streetcar,honey,

You use it,public transportation system should be used liberally

After all we all pay for it out of our taxes

-Bye honey -Bye mother

Tom why are you making all that racket?

Mother,I'm looking for a book

that is always yours the public library and I bet you took it

If it was a decent book you wouldn't be ashamed of it

If you weren’t ashamed of it you would not try hide it

I'm going to waste my time

Here.If you didn't hide that book, young man, it wouldn't get lost

Have you got anything else you'd like to tell me this morning?

-Another day -All right then,do you mind if I go to work

Tom,while you are there,

will you try to find a nice clean wholesome boy for your sister

Every morning after Laura and I had left the apartment

mother would begin her vigorous campaign on the telephone

roping in subscribers to one of those magazines

matrons call The Housekeeper's Companion

-Hello -Hello,Ida Scott?

-Who is it? -It's Amanda Wingfield

Oh,

Honey,how is that kidney condition of yours?

Terrible

Honey,you are a martyr, that it is what you are