Analysis Of Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie

Murphy Glenn Elizabeth Cochrane English 102 10/24/2017 Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield is the narrator and dominant character in Tennessee Williams’ timeless play, The Glass Menagerie. Through the eyes of Tom, the viewer gets a glimpse into the life of his family as well as into the depressed era that they live in. His mother is a southern belle who desperately tries to hold onto her past and her position within a society bygone; his sister who is tentative and cripplingly shy lacks the social skillset to function openly in society; Tom himself is a young writer and poet who is continually distraught over his life, which to him lacks adventure and substance. Williams has managed to write a magnificent play which incorporates†¦show more content†¦Care must be taken in talking to and associating with her as not to disturb her farouche nature, similar to the care taken in handling the glass figures without breaking them. Laura, terribly shy and diffident, enjoys staying at home or walking the city by her lonesome. However, at home, her mother, Amanda, pressures her to advance in her typewriting studies and hopes for a gentleman caller to save her from her domestic existence. Her mother even goes so far as to say, â€Å"I know so well what becomes of unmarried woman who aren t prepared to occupy a position. I ve seen such pitiful cases in the South - barely tolerated spinsters living upon the grudging patronage of sister s husband or brother s wife! - stuck away in some little mousetrap of a room - encouraged by one in-law to visit another - little birdlike women without any nest - eating the crust of humility all their life!† (Williams 1729) This statement shows Amanda’s feeling that Laura is only a burden of her dues to her timorous personality. Her mother not only denies Laura’s introverted demeanor but seeks to shape Laura into somebody she is not. With her mother refusing to forget her long-gone southern past, Laura’s condition may only worsen. This constant wish by her mother for Laura to become somebody she is not constantly reinforces the notion that she is not like everybody else. In this sense, the collection of all the glass pieces isShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis Of The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams1455 Words   |  6 Pagesfor this assignment are posts in the assignment s discussion. Below are the discussion posts for Samantha Stepzinski, or you can view the full discussion. from Discussion #1 - The Glass Menagerie Sep 8, 2017 10:31pm Click to change profile picture for Samantha Stepzinski In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the main topic of discussion is trying to find Laura a suitable gentleman caller that Amanda, her mother, would approve; however the overall theme is much deeper than that. LauraRead MoreAnalysis Of Tennessee Williams s The Glass Menagerie 2800 Words   |  12 PagesFontes 11 Tennessee Williams is considered to be one of the most distinguished American playwrights of the twentieth century. As a Southern writer, Williams used his personal life and experiences as subject matter for many of his stories. Williams? turbulent early life was the basis for many of his plays. As an autobiographical play, The Glass Menagerie depicts individuals not only fleeing from reality, but also escaping from their desperate situations. Escape is defined ?as a means of obtainingRead MoreEssay about Analysis of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams605 Words   |  3 Pages The Glass Menagerie is one of Tennessee Williams most famous play. A sort of autobiographical play that closely resembles Williams’s life before stardom. The play occurs during the 1930’s before world war two, in an apartment in St. Louis. 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