The Glass Menagerie depicts a complex world. Tom leaves his family and he is not justified because of who he leaves. His mother, Amanda, needs his help for a little while longer. Laura needs Tom to find her a suitable man and a job so she can then help Amanda along with the man. Tennessee Williams is connected to Tom because he left his own family but he is not justified because Tom is not. Tom is not justified in his actions because Amanda needs his help. Amanda needs Tom’s help in order to get Laura a man. Laura cannot support herself because of her mortiferous shyness. Amanda’s magazine telemarketing does not produce enough money for the whole family. “As soon as Laura has got somebody to take care of her… you’ll be free to go wherever”(Williams 31) Amanda exclaims this when she wants Tom to bring home a gentleman caller from the warehouse. Tom is not vindicated to leave until someone has taken his place to …show more content…
Amanda is captious towards her children. She makes Laura take a typing class that she does not want to do and she berates Tom about how he spends his afternoons and his smoking. “But, Tom, you go to the movies entirely too much.”(Williams 30) This is one of the earlier fights with Amanda that shows that Tom is agitated by her. This argument that Tom is validated to leave his family is incorrect because Amanda is doing what a normal mother does. She cares about her children. Even if Amanda is controlling him too much he is required to stay for Laura. Tom was justified to leave his family because he wanted a better life for himself. He was tired of the warehouse job. He joined the Navy because, he wanted to see the world. “People go to the movies instead of moving… until there’s war”(Williams 48) This viewpoint is erroneous because Tom is not condoned leaving his family by being selfish. Tom thinks of nobody but himself which is very wrong especially when his family relies almost wholly on
To start, Amanda Wingfield displays different characteristics from Troy. Amanda lives with her son and daughter who are in their 20’s and are supposed to be starting their lives. Amanda wants Laura to succeed in life and be a remarkable wife to one of her future gentleman callers. When Amanda discovers Laura has stopped going to her typewriting class, Amanda realizes her dreams of Laura succeeding are flickering away, “My hopes and ambitions for you”(Williams 14). Through this quote Williams incorporates heartache into Amanda’s voice depicting her ambition for Laura to succeed. She also feels, “So weak I could barely keep on my feet!”(Williams 14). These two quotes illustrate that Laura’s own being is extremely important to Amanda and to an extent, acts as if Laura’s failure is her own failure. This sense of care that Amanda shows is essential to help Laura make something of herself and appears to the reader as a deep aspiration of Amanda’s conscious. While Troy only cares for Cory because , “It is my job...cause it’s my duty”(Wilson 38). Another way Amanda wants Laura to be blissful is through her efforts in trying to get Laura a gentleman c...
...inessman. She blames her husband for her children’s bad qualities. When Tom stays out late or smokes Amanda says “you got it from you father”.
Amanda is also well characterized by the glass menagerie. The glass sits in a case, open for display and inspection for all. Amanda try’s to portray herself as a loving mother, doing everything she can for her children, and caring nothing for herself, when in fact, she is quite selfish and demanding. Amanda claims that she devotes her life to her children, and that she would do anything for them, but is very suspicious of Tom’s activities, and continually pressures Tom, trying to force him in finding a gentleman caller for Laura, believing that Laura is lonely and needs a companion, perhaps to get married. Like the glass, her schemes are very transparent, and people can see straight through them to the other side, where ...
Amanda has probably not done everything right for her family, but her intentions have always been good. Tom has lost patience and wants to pursue his journey away now. There's no waiting to save the money for the dues. He doesn't stop going to the movies for a week or quit smoking to save money. He takes the money for the light bill. We know this is a painfully big deal and he has intentionally hurt his family at this point. He knows he has put himself in a position of no turning back. Now, he has to go. As if to make it okay in someway, he says, ""I'm like my father. The bastard son of a bastard! See how he grins? And he's been absent going on sixteen years!" Now we know, he doesn't plan to come back. He has justified his not feeling obligated to his family by saying he gets it naturally. He is his father's son. Of course we have to decide if Tom has a choice. Is Tom withering away where he is. His family is full of dysfunction and he wants to help Laura out also.
Amanda Wingfield is mother of Tom and Laura. She is a middle-aged southern belle whose husband has abandoned her. She spends her time reminiscing about the past and nagging her children. Amanda is completely dependent on her son Tom for finical security and holds him fully responsible for her daughter Laura's future. Amanda is obsessed with her past as she constantly reminds Tom and Laura of that " one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain when she once received seventeen gentlemen callers" (pg.32). The reader cannot even be sure that this actually happened. However, it is clear that despite its possible falsity, Amanda has come to believe it. Amanda also refuses to acknowledge that her daughter Laura is crippled and refers to her handicap as " a little defect-hardly noticeable" (pg.45). Only for brief moments does she ever admit that her daughter is crippled and then she resorts back into to her world of denial and delusion. Amanda puts the weight of Laura's success in life on her son Tom's shoulders. When Tom finally finds a man to come over to the house for diner and meet Laura, Amanda blows the situation way out of proportion. She believes that this gentlemen caller, Jim, is going to be the man to rescue Laura. When in fact neither herself nor Laura has even met this man Jim yet. She tries to explain to Laura how to entertain a gentleman caller; she says-talking about her past " They knew how to entertain their gentlemen callers. It wasn't enough for a girl to be possessed of a pretty face and a graceful figure although I wasn't slighted in either respect.
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.
A mother always wants the best for her children, and Amanda isn’t a good example of a good mother. Amanda talks to Laura and Tom about their father as of she made a mistake choosing him out of a lot of men that wanted to be with her. “And I could have been Mrs. Duncan J. Fitzhugh, mind you! But – I picked your father” (Act 1, scene 1, pg.927). Amanda is using her past experience and wants men to call Laura like many did for her “Its almost time for our gentlemen callers to start arriving. How many do you suppose were going to entertain this afternoon?” (Act1, scene 1, pg. 927) Amanda doesn’t want Laura to make the same mistake she did by choosing the wrong guy like she made it seem about Laura’s father. Pressuring Laura to get out their and find someone I don’t think is a good mother thing to do and clearly just wants her daughter to find someone with a future for the sake of the family...
On one event, she abandons her little girl in a hot auto while she takes part in illicit medication use with a gathering of interesting men, along these lines jeopardizing both herself and her kid (Phillips, M. 2007). All in all, this satisfies the fundamental prerequisite of awful child rearing. Other Thoughts Consequently, while not legitimately adequate, Doyle would have been advocated in keeping Amanda. His decision to restore her to her mom is corrupt because of the earlier information that she would just be mishandled.
...from the liability that his father had left for him. The constant bickering between Tom and Amanda that is driving Laura into the nervous state she is in, could be mitigated if Mr. Wingfield were there to alleviate some of the stress off of Tom and Amanda. Mr. Wingfield leaving the way he did has impacted every member of his family, and has potentially ruined the lives of his wife and children.
... middle of paper ... ... And so, ultimately regretting leaving his sister behind, Tom takes leave of his family through the help of the Merchant Marines. Works Cited Bloom, Harold Ed. & Co.
The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, is a prime example of a classic drama, infusing powerful themes with compelling characters to draw the reader in and allow them to connect. William’s character Laura plays a large part in accomplishing this, particularly in Scene VII, when she converses with Jim. This scene is especially important to the story as a whole, and helps develop Laura’s character and the theme of conformity. This theme, that to be accepted by society one must conform, is prevalent throughout the story, but centers around this portion of the play specifically. The conversation between Laura and Jim is a pivotal part of the drama that is very impactive and provides substance for the theme and character development in the rest of the drama.
Tom is a character many people in this generation can relate to. Although the play was written many years ago Tom is just like any other millennial from this day and age. He basically hates his job because it’s not fun. He can’t cope with the fact that he has to pick up all the slack his father left behind. He even seems to think that running away will fix everything. All of these things are very common in society today.
Williams sees abandonment, if preformed without reason, as an egregious thing. Tom, being tired of the pressure from his family, decided to leave them and go on his own. On the contrary, his father left because, as an itinerant man, he “fell in love with long distances.” This is his reason for abandoning his wife and two children; he left them alone with nothing. This shows his weak character. Also, Amanda, the mother, always brings up the fathers dirty ways and dark past. “And you – when I see you taking after his ways! Staying out late – and – well, you had been drinking…”(Scene IV). Additionally, Amanda is constantly pushing Tom to fill in his father’s shoes and take care of her and Laura like his father never did.: “But until that time you've got to look out for your sister. I don't say me because I'm old and don't matter. I say for your sister because she's young and dependent.” (Scene IV). Additionally, she urges Tom to maintain and try to keep his job even though he does not like it: “What right have you got to jeopardize your job? Jeopardize the security of us all?” (Scene III). Amanda knows he is not happy but she also knows that his job is what puts food on the table and a roof over their heads, so she encourages him to try and
Her goal is to raise her kids perfectly, so that they will never have to depend on anyone. This way of thinking is due to her being abandoned because she does not want her son to have any negative traits. In reality, controlling the way her son eats will only prompt Tom to actually escape. Williams’ purpose of this scene allows one to recognize how Amanda’s controllingness over Tom is due to her being abandoned.
Their relationship is strained because Tom reminds Amanda of her husband. He just doesn't quite fit in with the rest of his family. He aspires to travel and see the world. He does not want to just get by; he wants to live and experience life.