A Marxist Reading of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie

A Marxist Reading of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie

It was not sooner than 20th century that a prominent unpublished work by Marx, the so-called Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 was found. The reason behind its reputation is Marxʹs formulation of his theory of alienation. Marxʹs ideas which started the Marxist critical approach proved enlightening when applied to the various works of literature especially those produced in the capitalist societies. Tennessee Williamsʹ The Glass Menagerie is one of those works. The present paper analyzes this play in the light of Marxʹs ideas.