The Glass Menagerie follows the lives of a family in St. Louis in the 1930s and is recalled as a memory from the narrator Tom. Amanda, the mother, is without her alcoholic husband, who has abandoned the family years before, and lives with her two children, Tom and Laura. The family supports itself and rents a modest apartment using Tom's wages at a local shoe factory.

Tom resents his mother for being so demanding and involved in his life. Amanda also inserts herself in her daughter's life by having her go to typing school, but Laura is too timid, so she walks around town instead of going to her classes, hoping her mother won't discover her secret.

Tennessee Williams's play The Glass Menagerie was first performed in 1944. It's defined as a "memory play," which means that the story is told through the reflection and memories of the main characters.