The Glass Menagerie-

Historical Context
Historicalcontext reflects the time in
which something takes place or was
created and influences how you
interpret it.
The historical context of a play and
novel can contribute to the way a
character acts, setting and the story
as a whole.
The Great Depression
Setting of The Glass Menagerie
(slightly before the beginning of WW
II).
The Great Depression was an
economic slump in North America,
Europe, and other industrialized areas
of the world.
Began in 1929 and lasted until about
1939.
Unemployment, homelessness, banks
closed, Dust Bowl, etc.
World War II
Most important event of the early
1940s
The Glass Menagerie was written
before the end of the war
Williams references actual events
that took place (allusions)