Glass

Oh! So he is. so he is

now what are you up to?

Im trying to save your eyesight…But thats not what made him a genius

Mother, Will you please go away and let me finish my writing

…Dont stick out like sparrow wings

Mother please go busy yourself with something else Im trying to write.

Isnt got any room left to go on beating for you

What the hell am I supposed to

Whats the matter with you? Have you gone out of your senses

Yes I have you have driven me out of them!

What is the matter with you lately you big big idiot

Look mother I havent got a thing a single thing left in this house that i can call my own

Lower your voice

Yesterday you confiscated my books! You had the nerve to—

Allow such filth in my house no no no no no

House! House! Who pays the rent on the house, who makes a slave of himself too—

Dont you dare talk to me like that

No I musnt say anything Ive just got to keep quiet and let you do all the talking

Let me tell you somthing

I dont want to hear anymore

you will hear more—

Well im not going to listen im going out

and another thing im at the end of my pacientce

What do you think im at the end of mother! Arent I supposed to have any patence to reach the end of? I know I know. it seems unimportant to yuo what im doing-what im- trying to do—having a diffrence between them! you dont think that

Moping doping becuse youre in no condiction

thats true— thats very very true im in no condition

How do think wed manage

Look mother do you think im crazy about the warehouse? You think Im in love with continental shoe makers? You think I want to spend the rest of my life in in that— celeotex interior with florence tubes! Honest to god Id rather somebody picked up a crowbar and batter out my brains then go back mornings! But I GO! sure everytime you come in with that rise and shine rise and shine I THINK HOW LUCKY DEAD PEOPLE ARE But i get up I go for sixty five dollars a month I give up all i dream of doing and being ever! and you say THAT is all I think of! Oh, god! WHy mother, if self is all I thought of mother Id be where he is GONE as far as the system of transportation reaches. please dont grab me mother

I want to know where youre going

IM GOING TO THE MOVIES

I dont belive that lie

No? …Well youre right. for once in youre like you are RIGHT. Im not going to the movies. Im going to opium dens! yes mother opium dens, dens of vice and criminal hang outs mother. Ive join the hogan gang. Im a HIRED assassian, I carry a tommy gun in my violien case I run a sting of of cathouses in the valley! They call me killer, killer wingfield. Im really leading a double life. by day im an honsest warehouse workers by night im a dynamic czar of the underwold. WHY i go to gambling casinos and spin away a fortune on the ruelette table! I wear a patch of one eyes. and false mustache, somthimes I wear green wiskers on those occastion they call me El Diablo. Oh I could tell you things that would make you SLEEPLESS. My enimies plan to dinimayte this place some night! Some night theyre going to blow us all sky high and when the do I will be glad WILL I BE HAPPY? AND SO WILL YOU Youll go up up over Blue mountine on a broom stick WITH SEVENTEEN GENTLEMAN CALLERS YOU UGLY BABBLING OLD WITCH

start of scene

Why are you trembling so laura?

mother youve made me so nervous

Why? how have i made you nervous

By all this fuss! you make it seem so important

I dont understand you at all, honey. Every time I try to do somthing for you thats the least bit diffrent, you just seem to see yourslef agaisnt it. Now take a look at yourslef. No wait! wait just a minute—I forgot something

what is it

A couple of improvements. When I was a girl we had around little lacy things like that and we called them “Gay Deceivers”

I wont wear them!

Of course you’ll wear them

Why should I

Well, to tell you the truth, honey, youre just a little bit flat chested

You make it seem like we were setting a trap

We are. All pretty girls are a trap and med expect them to be traps. Now look at yourself in that glass. See? You look just like an angel on a postcard. Isn’t that lovely? Now you just wait. I’m going to dress myself up. You’re going to be astonished at your mothers appearance. I found an old dress in the trunk. But what do you know? I had to do a lot to it but it broke my heart when I had to let it out. Now, Laura, just look at your mother. Oh, no! Laura, come look at me now!

Oh mother how lovely

It used to be. It used to be. It had a lot of flowers on it, but they got awful tired so I had to take them all off. I led the cotillion in this dress years ago. I won the cake-walk twice at sunset hill, and I wore it to the governors hall in jackson. you should have seen your mother. you should have seen your mother how she just sashayed around the ball room, just like that. I had it on the day i met your father. I had malaria fever, too. The change in climate from East Tennessee to the Delta—Weakened my resistance. Not enough to be dangerous, just enough to make me restless and giddy. Oh, it was lovely . Invitations poured in from all over. my mother said “you can’t go any place because you have a fever. You have to stay in bed.” I said I wouldn’t and I took quinine and kept on going and going. Dances every evening and long rides in the country in the afternoon and picnics. That country—that country—so lovely— so lovely in May, all lacy with dogwood and simply flooded with jonquils. My mother said “ You cant bring anymore jonquils in this house” I said “I will” and I kept on bringing them in anyhow. Whenever I saw them I said, “Wait a minute I see jonquils” and Id make my gentleman callers get out of the carriage and help me gather some. To tell you the truth, Laura, it got to be a kind of joke. “Look out” theyd say, “here comes that girl and well have to spend the afternoon picking jonquills” My mother said “you cant bring any more jonquils in the home, there are no more vases to hold them” “thats quite all right” I said “I can hold them myself” Malaria Fever, Your father, and johnquils. I hope they get here before it sarts to rain. I gave your brother a little extra change so he and Mr. Oconner could take the servise car home.

Mother

Whats the matter now?

What did you say his name was?

Oconner why

What is is first name

i dont remeber oh yes i do too it was jim yes jim oconner

Oh mother no not jim oconner

yes that was it it was jim ive never known a jim who wasnt nice

Are you sure his name was jim

Why sure im sure why?

Is he the one that tom used to know in high school

he didnt say so i think he just got to know him at the warehouse

There was a jim oconner we both knew in high school if that is the one that tom is bringing home to dinner oh mother youd have to excuse me i douldnt come to the table

whats this now what sort of silly talk is this

you asked nme once if id ever like a boy dont you remever i showed you this boys picutre

you mean the boy in the year book

yes that boy

laura laura were you in love with that boy?

i dont know mother all i know is that i couldnt sit at the table if it was him

it wont be him! it isnt the least bit likely but whether it is or not you will come to the table you will not be excused

ill have to be mother

i dont intened to humor your silliness laura. Ive had to much from you and your brother both. so just sit down and compose yourself till they come. Tom has forgoten his keys so youll have to let them in when they arrive

oh mother you answer the door

how can i when i havent even finished making the mayonessise dressing for the salmon

oh mother please answer the door dont make me do it

Honey do be reasonable whats all this fuss about just one gentleman caller thats all just one! ——- Laura sweetheart the door!

Mother please you go to the door

whats the mattter with you you sillly thing

Please you answer it please

why have you chosen this moment to lose your mind you go to that door

I cant

why cant you

Because im sick

Youre sick! Am i sick! You and your brother have me puzzled to death you can never act like normal children Will you give me one good reason why you should be afraid to open a door? you go to that door laura wingfield you march straight to that door!

Yes mother

Ive got to put courage in you honey for living

Tom!

yes mother

come out here i want to tell you something very funny

has the gentleman caller gotten away already

the gentleman caller made a very early departure that was a nice joke you played on us too

how do you mean

you didnt mention that he was engaged to be married

Jim engaged

Thats what he jsut infromed us

well ill be id i didnt know

that seems very perculiar

whats peculiar about it

didnt you tell me he was youre best friend at the warehouse

he is but how did i know

it seems very perucliar you didnt know your best friend was engaged to be married

the warehouse is the place where i work not where i know things about people

You dint know things anywhere you live in a dream you manufature illisons where are ouu going where are you foing where are you going

Im going to the movies

just go go go to the movies

all right i will and the more you shout at me about my selfish pleasres the quicker ill go and i wont go to the movies wither

then go go to the moon you selfish dreamer

I didnt go to the moon. I went much farther. for time is the longest distance between two places…I left st louis. I decended these steps fo this fire escape for the last timeand followed from then on in my fathers footsteps attempting to find in motion what was lost in space…I travled around a great deal. The cities swept about me like dead leaves leaves that were brightly colored but torn away from the branches I would have stopped but i was pursed by somthing it always came upon me unwares taking me altogether by suprised perhaps it was a familier but of music perhaps itwas only a apeiece of trnsparnt glass…perhaps i am walking along a street at night, in some strange city before i have found companions and i pass the lighted window of a shop where perfume is sold the window is filled with pieces of colored glass tiny transparnt bottles in dielcate colors like bits ofa. shattteed rainbow then all at once my sister touches my shoulder I turn around and look into her eyes…Oh, laura, laura I tried to leave you behind me but am i amore faitheful then i intended to be. I reach for a ciggrette i cross the street I run into a movie or a bar, I buy a drink i spreak to the nearest stranger anduthing that can blow your candles out for nowadays the world is lit by lightning blow out your candles laura and so goodbye.