The Glass Menagerie

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Create a Menagerie”

In this activity, students will write a short scene about a family of glass animals to present for comparison to the main characters in the play.

Imagine four or five glass animals living together and discussing a problem similar to one of the Wingfields’ problems. The catch is that, like in Laura’s menagerie, the animals don’t argue. How might they approach the issues facing Amanda, Laura, and Tom and come up with a different outcome?

• Work in a small group of 3-5 classmates.
• Select a problem the family of animals experiences that is parallel or similar in some way to a problem experienced by the Wingfields.
• Write lines of dialogue to convey the problem and how the animals work together to solve it without arguing.
• Perform the scene for the group.
• After, explain the parallel problem from the play and what character traits or situations prevent the amicable airing and solving of the problem for Tom, Amanda, and Laura.
• When groups are finished, discuss as a class: How does this exercise contribute to understanding the characters in the play and their relationships?

Teaching Suggestion: You might encourage students to consider animals in a variety of settings—a zoo, a farm, a household. What types of animals might congregate with one another, in spite of their differences? What characteristics influence how they converse and solve problems?

Differentiation Suggestion: Teachers might have more visual learners create a movie poster for an animated film about four animal characters with personalities similar to those of Amanda, Laura, Tom, and Jim. What animal best fits each character’s personality, and what facial expression or outfit suits them? What would be the tagline for each animal character? For students who dislike drawing, they could create a collage or simply make a T-chart with a list of animal characteristics that suit the four major characters.