Good Idea for a Research Paper on the Glass Menagerie??

Question

My final assignment of freshman college english is a research paper on Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie...I have no idea where to start, does anyone know the play well or any english teacher types know a good topic?

Answer 1

To my mind one of the most interesting things about the book was the slight and subtle way in which it brings about the clautrophobic understanding of relationships (within blood relations and how we would like to create new relationships). Perhaps you would want to do a comparitive study on that has been dealt with by other popular authors and how it has evolved over time. You could probably look at old favourites like Jane Austen, Howard's End by forester, throw in a few Sidney Sheldons for fun, Angela's Ashes etc. Could make for interesting work. Make sure you don't deviate from the Glass Menagerie itself though and bring out the various nuances of relationships in the play itself.

Answer 2

If you go to questia.com there are numerous critiques, essays, and articles on the Glass Menagerie. These should get you started.

Answer 3

At least you are writing on one of the most famous scripts in English literature. Read the play first. There are thousands of essays written about the play - from debates about it being autobiographical to the genre itself (its a dream play). Centering in on one of the characters would probably be your best way to go. Amanda Wingfield is by far one of the most wonderful, though entirely lunatic, characters ever written. Good luck.

Answer 4

Do your report based on literary analysis. Dissect the book, analyze the heck out of it, find the meanings in it.

For my AP class, I had to do a report on Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I did the thing on literary analysis and criticism and it turned out very well.