The Glass Menagerie

Jim O'Connor: Jim O'Connor is the gentleman caller Tom brings home from the Continental Shoemakers warehouse. He is a shipping clerk and takes night classes in public speaking and radio engineering. He has big plans to enter the television industry because he believes it will do well. He was the most popular boy in high school, and although he doesn't remember right away, he shared a choir class with Laura. He called her 'Blue Roses' then because he had misunderstood her when she told him she had pleurosis. She had a crush on Jim then, so when he comes to their apartment for dinner, she is overcome by anxiety, but he is able to draw her out of her shell. He encourages her to be less self-conscious and more confident and gets so carried away in his encouragement, that he kisses her. Jim, knowing he cannot date Laura because he's engaged to a woman he loves, tells her everything and that he won't be visiting again and leaves. Before he goes, however, Laura gives him a souvenir --her favorite glass unicorn. Jim broke the horn when he knocked it from the table, and Laura gives it to him to remember her by. He takes the glass figurine when he leaves and his departure crushes any hope his visit created.

Jim O'Connor Jim O'Connor is a friend of Tom's from the warehouse where they both work. Tennessee Williams describes him in his notes to the play as "A nice, ordinary young man." Jim is the "gentleman caller" who is invited to dinner by Tom, and in whom Amanda places her hopes for finding a husband for Laura.

First of all, Jim is the only character to break through into Laura’s secret world. That’s pretty impressive. But what makes him so special, anyway? Well he’s pretty much the most sincere person in the play. He’s very honest, friendly, chipper – the man has freckles, for heaven’s sake. He’s completely trustworthy and, as such, we the audience get to trust him.

Jim was an outstanding success in high school, and everyone thought he would succeed in life. However,...