In both writing and staging, Tennessee Williams uses expressionistic techniques throughout the play. He immediately has Tom Wingfield characterize The Glass Menagerie as a “memory play.”
Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart.
Tom also says the play “is sentimental, it is not realistic.” Williams provides ample stage directions that indicate exact aspects of the “dimly lighted” play, with terms such as “lemony,” “gloomy,” “dusk,” and even “turgid smokey”—the contrasted dark and light effect called chiaroscuro.
The “glass” theme is predominant, extending from the fragility of the staging elements to numerous stage direction descriptions of Laura, in particular, that emphasize how her frailness and impermanence. She “lives in a world of glass and a world of music.” Williams calls her "a piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary radiance . . . ” Tom’s memories of her are recalled in radiant moments as well, as the overall play fits within his singular impression. A fiddle playing offstage, “Ave Maria” associated with Amanda, a tango, and Laura’s obsession with her father’s old Victrola records—all are related uses of the music that is associated with every aspect.
Contributing to the overall expressionism is the stage setting, such as the projected legends and images that call attention to the artifice of the presentation and the appeal to emotion; they recall “epic theater” techniques of Bertholt Brecht. The flow of the action through seven scenes, as contrasted to traditional division into three acts, is another innovation.
https://archive.org/stream/glassmenagerieno00unse/glassmenagerieno00unse_djvu.txt
https://journals.openedition.org/jsse/1321
Expressionism is a technique in which the artist attempts to express his own subjective emotional state or response. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom, one of the story's protagonists, also acts as the narrator. In this way, Tom is able to inform the audience or to tell the story in such a way as to make his own feelings clear.
This is Tom's story, told from his perspective. He may not say directly that he felt guilty or happy or sad, rather he is able to point elements out to the audience and to tell the story in such a way that makes his feelings about the events of the play clear.
In his opening monologue for example, Tom states that this play is a memory. He then goes on to point out the staging techniques that indicate the mood associated with this memory: the lighting and fiddle music. These staging techniques are used not only to indicate mood but to help evoke it. Tom is, in effect, standing outside of the play, indirectly telling the audience how he feels about the events that take place.
Expressionism is an artistic movement that emerged out of Europe in the early part of the twentieth century. The chief characteristic of expressionism is a rejection of realism. Expressionist philosophy held that art should not seek to imitate life, it must interpret it. And the means for doing this should reflect a movement from realism—utilizing nonlinear narratives, symbolism, and abstract ideas. Expressionistic art does not seek to represent the external world of objects but the subjective inner state of the artist.
In his production notes to The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams explicitly states his debt to expressionism, describing it as "a closer approach to the truth." Expressionistic techniques are particularly useful in presenting those numerous autobiographical elements of the play based upon Williams's memories. When attempting to reenact memories it is not possible to divide them up neatly into acts. So in The Glass Menagerie Williams dispenses with acts altogether, dividing the play into seven scenes. There is no real structure to memories, certainly not one that is amenable to conventional dramatic division. The expressionistic structure used by Williams frames the action much more effectively than the conventions of realism would allow.
Symbolism is another important expressionistic element in the play. At various points in The Glass Menagerie images and words are projected onto a screen onstage to highlight certain themes. An example of this comes in scene 2 when we see the image of blue roses being projected. "Blue Roses" is the name that Jim gives to Laura, a mispronunciation of "pleuroris," her crippling physical condition.
Expressionistic lighting is also used to great effect in The Glass Menagerie. As this is a memory play, the lighting is suitably dim, reflecting the dimness of memories. Light is often focused on characters who aren't at the center of the action. For instance, in the scene where Tom and Amanda are quarreling, the light is on Laura, even though she has no active part in what's happening on stage. The light that falls upon Laura is a pure light, a pristine light—one that makes her distinct from all the other characters, making her seem virginal, innocent, and saintly.
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