In this work, the life of the Wingfield family is recounted through Tom's memories, which consists of him, his mother Amanda, and his sister Laura.

The mother, beautiful in her youth, as she says, but now unbalanced, struggles to survive in a poor neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. At the same time, she dreams of a better future for her children; however, reality is harsh.

For her son Tom, she believes he is a selfish dreamer who wishes to leave just like his father did. Laura is a fragile presence, disabled in her leg, afraid of the outside world, preferring her collection of glass animals and her father's collection of old phonograph records.