1. The Glass Menagerie- Historical Context Historical context 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.

2. 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.

6. 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