Tennessee Williams - The Glass Menagerie

LAURA [ innocently ]: Did you have to stay through everything?

TOM: Of course! And, oh, I forgot! There was a big stage show! The headliner on this stage show was Malvolio the Magician. He performed wonderful tricks, many of them, such as pouring water back and forth between pitchers. First it turned to wine and then it turned to beer and then it turned to whisky. I knew it was whisky it finally turned into because he needed somebody to come up out of the audience to help him, and I came up – both shows! It was Kentucky Straight Bourbon. A very generous fellow, he gave souvenirs. (He pulls from his back pocket a shimmering rainbow-coloured scarf.) He gave me this. This is his magic scarf. You can have it, Laura. You wave it over a canary cage and you get a bowl of goldfish. You wave it over the gold-fish bowl and they fly away canaries… But the wonderfullest trick of all was the coffin trick. We nailed him into a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail, [ He has come inside. ] There is a trick that would come in handy for me – get me out of this 2 by 4 situation! [ Flops on to a bed and starts removing shoes. ]

LAURA: Tom? Shhh’!

TOM: What’re you shushing me for?

LAURA: You’ll wake up mother.

TOM: Goody, goody! Pay ‘er back for all those “Rise an’ Shines”. [ Lies down, groaning .] You know it don’t take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail?

[ As if in answer, the father’s grinning photograph lights up .]

[ SCENE DIMS OUT. ]

[ Immediately following: The church bell is heard striking six. At the sixth stroke the alarm clock goes off in AMANDA’s room, and after a few moments we hear her calling "Rise and Shine! Rise and Shine! Laura, go tell your brother to rise and shine! ’]

TOM [ sitting up slowly ]: I’ll rise – but I won’t shine

[ The light increases .]

AMANDA: Laura, tell your brother his coffee is ready.

[ LAURA slips into front room .]

LAURA: Tom!- It’s nearly seven. Don’t make mother nervous. [ He stares at her stupidly. Beseechingly. ] Tom, speak to mother this morning. Make up with her, apologize, speak to her!

TOM: She won’t to me. It’s her that started not speaking.

LAURA: If you just say you’re sorry she’ll start speaking.

TOM: Her not speaking – is that such a tragedy?

LAURA: Please – please!

AMANDA [ calling from kitchenette ]: Laura, are you going to do what I asked you to do, or do I have to get dressed and go out myself?

LAURA: Going, going – soon as I get on my coat![ She pulls on a shapeless felt hat with nervous, jerky movement, pleadingly glancing at TOM. Rushes awkwardly for coat. The coat is one of AMANDA’s, inaccurately made-over the sleeves too short for LAURA. ] Butter and what else?

AMANDA [ centering upstage ]: Just butter. Tell them to charge it.

LAURA: Mother, they make such faces when I do that

AMANDA: Sticks and stones can break our bones, but the expression on Mr. Garfinkel’s face won’t harm us! Tell your brother his coffee is getting cold.

LAURA [ at door ]: Do what I asked you, will you, will you, TOM?

[ He looks sullenly away .]

AMANDA: Laura, go now or just don’t go at all!

LAURA [ rushing out ]: Going – going! [ A second later she cries Out. TOM Springs up and crosses to door. AMANDA rushes anxiously in. TOM opens the door .]

TOM: Laura?

LAURA: I’m all right. I slipped, but I’m all right.

AMANDA [ peering anxiously after her ]: If anyone breaks a leg on those fire-escape steps, the landlord ought to be sued for every cent he possesses! [ She shuts door. Remembers she isn’t speaking and returns to other room .]

[ As TOM enters listlessly for his coffee she turns her back to him and stands rigidly facing the window on the gloomy gray vault of the areaway. Its light on her face with its aged but childish features is cruelly sharp, satirical as a Daumier print. MUSIC UNDER: “AVE MARIA”. TOM glances sheepishly but sullenly at her averted figure and slumps at the table. The coffee is scalding hot; he sips it and gasps and spits it back in the cup. At his gasp, AMANDA catches her breath and half turns. Then catches herself and turns back to window. Tom blows on his coffee, glancing sidewise at his mother. She clears her throat. TOM clears his. He starts to rise. Sinks back down again, scratches his head, clears his throat again. AMANDA Coughs. TOM raises his cup in both hands to blow on it – his eyes staring over the rim of it at his mother for several moments. Then he slowly sets the cup down and awkwardly and hesitantly rises from the chair. ]

TOM [ hoarsely ]: Mother! – I apologize, Mother. [ AMANDA draws a quick, shuddering breath. Her face works grotesquely. She breaks into childlike tears .] I’m sorry for what I said, for everything that I said; I didn’t mean it.

AMANDA [ sobbingly ]: My devotion has made me a witch and so I make myself hateful to my children!

TOM: NO, you don’t.

AMANDA: I worry so much, don’t sleep, it makes me nervous!

TOM [ gently ]: I understand that.

AMANDA: I’ve had to put up a solitary battle all these years. But you’re my right-hand bower [8] A trump card ! Don’t fall down, don’t fail!

TOM [ gently ]: I try, Mother.

AMANDA [ with great enthusiasm ]: Try and you will succeed! [ The notion makes her breathless ] Why, you – you’re just full of natural endowments! Both of my children – they’re unusual children! Don’t you think I know it? I’m so proud! Happy and – feel I’ve – so much to be thankful for but – Promise me one thing, Son!

TOM: What, Mother?

AMANDA: Promise, Son, you’ll – never be a drunkard!

TOM [ turns to her grinning ]: I will never be a drunkard, Mother.

AMANDA: That’s what frightened me so, that you’d be drinking! Eat a bowl of Purina!

TOM: Just Coffee, Mother.

AMANDA: Shredded wheat biscuit?

Tom: No. No, Mother, just coffee.

AMANDA: You can’t put in a day’s work on an empty stomach. You’ve got ten minutes – don’t gulp! Drinking too hot liquids makes cancer of the stomach. Put cream in.

TOM: No, thank you.

AMANDA: To cool it.

TOM . No! No, thank you, I want it black.

AMANDA: I know, but it’s not good for you. We have to do all that we can to build ourselves up. In these trying times we live in, all that we have to cling to is – each other… That’s why it’s so important to – Tom! – I sent out your sister so I could discuss something with you. If you hadn’t spoken I would have spoken to you. [ Sits down .]

TOM [ gently ]: What is it, Mother, that you want to discuss?

AMANDA: Laura!

[ Tom puts his cup down slowly.

LEGEND ON SCREEN: “LAURA”.

MUSIC: “THE GLASS MENAGERIE” ]

TOM: – Oh. – Laura …

AMANDA [ touching his sleeve] You know how Laura is. So quiet but – still water runs deep! She notices things and I think she – broods about them. [ Tom looks up .] A few days ago I came in and she was crying.

TOM: What about?

AMANDA: YOU.

TOM: Me?

AMANDA: She has an idea that you’re not happy here

TOM: What gave her that idea?

AMANDA: What gives her any idea? However, you do act strangely! – I’m not criticizing, understand that! I know your ambitions do not lie in the warehouse, that like everybody in the whole wide world – you’ve had to make sacrifices, but – Tom – Tom – life’s not easy, it calls for – Spartan endurance! There’s so many things in my heart that I cannot describe to you! I’ve never told you but – I loved your father…