73 pages 2 hours read

Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1945

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1: Scenes1-5

Reading Check

1. Who sent a postcard with the message “Hello—Good-bye!” and no address?

2. How did Amanda entertain her gentlemen callers?

3. Why did Amanda change her mind about attending the DAR meeting?

4. What is a victrola?

5. What does Tom wake up to every morning?

6. What does Tom get from movies that he can’t get from his job?

7. What is the Wingfields’ substitute for a porch?

8. What does Amanda consider worse than being an old maid?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Tom describe the social background of the play?

2. What is the Jewel Box?

3. How did Laura get the nickname Blue Roses?

4. Why does Amanda sell magazine subscriptions?

5. What is Amanda’s reason for returning Tom’s library book?

6. What trick does Tom tell Laura she can do with the magic scarf?

7. What does Tom say about instinct?

8. In what way would Amanda like Tom to emulate his father?

9. What does Amanda say about time?

Paired Resources