Tennessee Williams of Columbus, Mississippi, and author of the play The Glass Menagerie creates a well-rounded character by the name of Tom Wingfield. The author reveals many aspects of this character throughout the play, which focuses on the memories of the three main characters that live in a St. Louis apartment in the late 1930s. As the story progresses, the reader observes how each of the characters unravel and unfold to their needs and wants. Tom is displayed as a character who lives in a world that is different from reality, so, therefore, he behaves in a fashion that makes him seem falsely selfish, creative, and adventurous. To start with, Tom, as depicted by Tennessee Williams, is the free spirit of the Wingfield family. Though he …show more content…
Tom had the same characteristic traits all through the play, for the only aspects that changed were his localities. Tom always behaved himself in the same manners, but lived with his mother in St. Louis for the reason of wanting to help her and his sister Laura by working in the warehouse. All of that changed when Tom joined the Union of Merchant Seamen. Tom, after arguing with Amanda, tells her that he is leaving by revealing, “All right, I will! The more you shout about my selfishness to me the quicker I’ll go, and I won’t go to the movies!” (Williams 1210). Tom had initially mentioned to Amanda that he was going to the movies, like he always did whenever he wanted to fulfill his illusion of adventure. However, by stating that he in fact was not going to the movies, Williams reveals Tom’s intentions of leaving the house indefinitely. The only person that held Tom back from leaving the house had always been his sister, Laura. If it had not been for her, Tom would have left. There is a sense of responsibility that he knows must be taken care of, and yet he does not wish to become a parent figure. In "Flying the Jolly Roger: Images of Escape and Selfhood in Tennessee Williams 's The Glass Menagerie," it is described that a feeling of guilt overcomes Tom, as he knows that he must take care of his sister (Single 158). Finally, Tom, through his final monologue, asks Laura to let go of her grip on him. Tom mentions, “Blow out your candles, Laura – and so good-bye…” (Williams 1211). Tennessee uses this metaphor of Laura blowing out her candles to represent her grip on Tom and how he desired to be
In The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, the glass menagerie is a clear and powerful metaphor for each of the four characters, Tom, Laura, Amanda, and the Gentleman Caller. It represents their lives, personality, emotions, and other important characteristics.
The first character that we will look at is Tom, the narrator. It can be interpreted that Tom is a likeness of Tennessee Williams. There are many similarities between his life and Tom’s life. Some of them are about his own actions, and some of them are about the actions in the life of his family. First we will look at Tennessee Williams life, and how it is much the same as the life of the character Tom in The Glass Menagerie.
Tennessee Williams employs the uses of plot, symbolism, and dialogue to portray his theme of impossible true escape, which asserts itself in his play, The Glass Menagerie. Each of his characters fills in the plot by providing emotional tension and a deep, inherent desire to escape. Symbolism entraps meaning into tangible objects that the reader can visualize and attach significance to. Conclusively, Williams develops his characters and plot tensions through rich dialogue. Through brilliant construction and execution of literary techniques, Williams brings to life colorful characters in his precise, poignant on-stage drama.
The Glass Menagerie was set in a St. Louis apartment after the Great Depression. The Wingfields had old records and a typewriter to show connections between the play and the time period. The way of life influenced playwrights to write about real life subjects. Tennessee Williams was trying to communicate to everybody that everybody is unique in their own way, that’s what makes them beautiful on the inside. It is what is on the inside that counts.
The Glass Menagerie is a play about the memories of a young man named Tom Wingfield. Tom dreams of escaping his complicated and completely dependent family. Tennessee Williams uses symbolism to emphasize Tom’s yearning to leave. The first symbol of this the fire escape which serves as a bridge to reality from the illusive wo...
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross describes people, specifically the Wingfield family, as “stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Through the play, Laura Wingfield’s beauty is masked by her crippled appearance and glass figurines. However, Amanda Wingfield’s beauty is hidden by her nostalgic controlling past. Amanda’s son and Laura’s brother, Tom, has his glowing dreams and future crushed by the regret of abandonment. Throughout the play, The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, the reader is tested and persuaded by the three main characters to be the protagonist of the 1945 play. To begin, the audience may feel Amanda Wingfield, mother of Tom and Laura Winfield, is the protagonist because of her developed personality. Whereas, critics would consider Tom as the central character because he is the play’s narrator. Finally, the reader may consider Laura as the focus because of her capacity to change through the play. In essence, depending on interpretations, any of these three characters are possible protagonists.
Generally when some one writes a play they try to elude some deeper meaning or insight in it. Meaning about one's self or about life as a whole. Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" is no exception the insight Williams portrays is about himself. Being that this play establishes itself as a memory play Williams is giving the audience a look at his own life, but being that the play is memory some things are exaggerated and these exaggerations describe the extremity of how Williams felt during these moments (Kirszner and Mandell 1807). The play centers itself on three characters. These three characters are: Amanda Wingfield, the mother and a women of a great confusing nature; Laura Wingfield, one who is slightly crippled and lets that make her extremely self conscious; and Tom Wingfield, one who feels trapped and is looking for a way out (Kirszner and Mandell 1805-06). Williams' characters are all lost in a dreamy state of illusion or escape wishing for something that they don't have. As the play goes from start to finish, as the events take place and the play progresses each of the characters undergoes a process, a change, or better yet a transition. At the beginning of each characters role they are all in a state of mind which causes them to slightly confuse what is real with what is not, by failing to realize or refusing to see what is illusioned truth and what is whole truth. By the end of the play each character moves out of this state of dreamy not quite factual reality, and is better able to see and face facts as to the way things are, however not all the characters have completely emerged from illusion, but all have moved from the world of dreams to truth by a whole or lesser degree.
The “Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams shows a family facing economic and social hardships due to the father abandoning them. The father’s absence forces the rest of the family to fill roles that they wouldn’t be obliged to face if the father remained. The mother, Amanda, is a strong single mother who pushes her kids to be economically self-sustaining individuals. Amanda tries to impose her desires for her kids in a very direct and controlling manner which causes them to dislike her initiatives. The son, Tom, is the breadwinner for the family, however is dissatisfied with his situation due to his increased responsibilities. The daughter, Laura, is handicapped and dropped out of business school. Each member of the family is limited by their ability to grow out of their negative habits, however, it is likely that these habits or characteristics came from the family situation and the roles that each member was forced to fill.
In Williams, Tennessee’s play The Glass Menagerie, Amanda’s image of the southern lady is a very impressive. Facing the cruel reality, she depends on ever memories of the past as a powerful spiritual to look forward to the future, although her glory and beautiful time had become the past, she was the victim of the social change and the Great Depression, but she was a faithful of wife and a great mother’s image cannot be denied.
The Glass Menagerie, written by Tennessee Williams in 1944, tells a tale of a young man imprisoned by his family. Following in the footsteps of his father, Tom Wingfield is deeply unhappy and eventually leaves his mother and sister behind so he may pursue his own ambitions. Throughout the play, the reader or audience is shown several reasons why Tom, a brother to Laura and son to Amanda, is unhappy and wishes to leave his family. However, the last scene describes Tom’s breaking point in which he leaves for the last time. Amanda tells Tom to “go to the moon,” because he is a “selfish dreamer.” (7. Amanda and Tom) The reasonings for Tom’s departure are due to his mother’s constant nagging, hatred for
Tennessee Williams 's The Glass Menagerie is an American masterpiece. The play carries American theatre through to the modern times with little recognition. Williams 's overall background, with emphasis on his southern heritage and homosexuality, is the influence of the characters and the setting. The Glass Menagerie shines a light on being an outsider and being restless through the perspectives of three different individuals.
Similarly, Tennessee Williams’ (1945) The Glass Menagerie, bears two strikingly comparable characters, pulled from the memory of Tom Wingfield. Tom’s mother, Amanda, is much like Willy in the way that she regrets not being able to keep Tom’s father around, yet she is not suicidal, instead she is overbearing and intrusive on Tom’s personal life constantly pushing him to be more successful, make more money and to find his sister, Laura, a suitor (p. 20).
Relationships in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie Throughout the Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams concentrates a lot
In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the theme of abandonment is salient to the play. Throughout most of the play, Tom contemplates whether he should stay with his family doing something he hates or leave them and follow his dream. His yen to be happy controls his decision in the end. Through Tom's actions, thoughts, and the negative imagery of his father, Williams proves that abandonment is a viable solution in the escaping challenges and reality, if it is tenable.
Tom is more of a realist compared to Amanda’s hopeful view on life. He knows life will never measure up to his mother’s expectations. The world has changed and he feels his mother needs to wake up. His personality is a direct contrast to Amanda.