The Glass Menagerie Essay In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Laura portrays a crippled character. Her handicap causes her to look down upon herself for her whole life. Laura presents herself as a fragile human being, easily broken at any moment just like a piece of her own glass collection. Laura lacks confidence in herself because of her problems and she lives her life as if she should be put in a case and not moved because of her delicacy. The author describes Laura as a crippled young girl with a myriad of problems. Laura becomes crippled after a childhood illness leaves her one leg slightly longer than her other.