Tom's Narration

In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I noticed a lot of moments where the play switches to a direct first person perspective, narrated by Tom.  At several points during the play, Tom directly addresses the audience, filling in details about the story.  In fact, the play begins with Tom speaking to the audience.  " I am the narrator of the play and also a character in it ( p. 1236)."  With this style of narration, Williams can address the audience, and he can clarify different aspects of the play.  In some parts, Tom identifies symbolism.  In other parts, he tells the reader about events that don't occur onstage.  Without Tom's narration, the play would be more realistic, but the audience might miss out on several insights on the significance of events that take place.  I liked Tom's narration because it helped me understand what I read.  I think it is a defining characteristic of The Glass Menagerie.