The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams

Tom fears that his own kind will be overrun by others, such as dreamers like Gatsby. Tom hides “behind his wealth” (Pidgeon 179) and “leave others to clean up [his] messes” (Pidgeon 180). Tom’s arrogance and racism help create his character and establish his place in the society. Tom’s personality depicts his cruel ways of protecting the old money’s ways of life from the new money people. He considers himself above of everyone else.

“The Glass Menagerie” is an autobiographical play, written by Tennessee William in 1945. Each character is a prototype of a real person, who played a significant role in the author’s life. It is a memory play, which based on author’s own life story and a point of view at the family problems and ways to solve them. The main problem in the play is the conflict between parents and children, which leads to adverse consequences for all members of the family.

The author’s diction intensifies Tom’s aggressive and arrogant persona through Nick’s hostile narration and Tom’s egotistical attitude. Nick describes Tom’s manner as “supercilious” and his body as “cruel”. Nick’s word choice indicates that although Nick has yet to have a conversation with Tom, Nick sees Tom as assertive and insensitive. Not only does Tom appear arrogant to Nick, but Tom also talks with a “gruff husky tenor” and a “harsh, defiant wistfulness.” Nick’s description of Tom’s voice further stresses Tom’s intimidating personality and his arrogant manner. Not only does Fitzgerald’s word choice show Nick’s impression of Tom,

Tom overflows with “paternal contempt” (7), for those around him and must always be in control. His wife, Daisy, resides under his oppressiveness on a daily basis, yet she relishes in the wealth Tom brings her. Towards the end of the novel, Tom and Daisy have a falling-out after Tom realizes that their relationship might be in jeopardy. When Tom comes to this realization he feels “the hot whips of panic… his wife and his mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate were slipping precipitately from his control” (125). Tom has not accomplished much in his lifetime, and he knows it.

“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams is a play about desire to escape and this concept is conveyed through a variety of techniques and ideas shown in this play of exploration by the playwright, Tom Wingfield. First, Jim tries to escape his engagement by having a romantic night with Laura. Then, Tom’s father escapes for the same reasons Tom did. Thirdly, according to Roger Boxill from ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Amanda escapes by reminiscing “Blue Mountain ... And the seventeen gentleman callers.” Fourthly, Laura escapes with romance, going for walks, her “Glass Menagerie, stomach pain, and the broken horn from the unicorn. Finally, Tom escapes by traveling, going to the movies, drinking, and hanging out on the fire escape looking at the moon. Symbolism is also used in many literary works to for shadow or emphasizes an event that is about to happen or already has happened in the story. Hence the title ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in the play foreshadows/emphasizes the event happening or about to happen. The action of “The Glass Menagerie” takes place in the Wingfield family’s apartment in St. Louis, 1937. The events of the play are framed by memory Tom Wingfield is the play’s narrator, and usually smokes and stands on the fire escape as he delivers his monologues.

Even the literature that is scattered about the room is a reflection of Tom's character.  "Simon Called Peter" and "Town Tattle" are the only available items to read and they are of an extremely unintelligent nature.  Gossip magazines and this popular immoral novel (209) are telling evidence of Tom's immaturity.

This play is narrated by and based on the memories of a 21-year-old man named Tom Wingfield. It takes place in a small St. Louis apartment in 1937 during the depression. Tom feels that he is forced to live with and support his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura. This is because his father abandoned them year's ago. He feels trapped because he works a boring job in a shoe warehouse to pay the bills but wants to be a writer. Amanda seems unappreciative of his support and dwells on better times in her life as a Southern Belle and how she wants the same opportunities for Laura. She sets a lot of rules for Tom to follow that prevents him from enjoying life, even nagging about the way he chews his food! Tom turns to liquor, movies and literature to escape and for the adventure and excitement he desires. Throughout the play Tom's emotions as narrator are not portrayed the same as what he really feels as the character. To add to the family's misery, the father's picture still hangs on the wall in the apartment!

He presents his pessismistic attitude constantly to his mother. At the begining of scene five, Amanda and Tom are in the kitchen. Amanda asks Tom for a favor to tidy up and comb his hair. She wants Tom to keep his father had and that was to keep his appearance clean and tidy. Tom doesn’t even obey his mother and gets out his ciggarete.

His emotions are everywhere which is not necessarily a bad thing. All through the play, the viewer observes how Amanda is capable of pushing her son’s buttons. Amanda admits, “However, you do act strangely. … I know your ambitions do not lie in the warehouse, that like everybody in the whole wide world - you've had to make sacrifices, but—Tom—Tom—life's not easy, it calls for—Spartan endurance!” (1395; 61). As Tom speaks to his mother, the audience sees that he is emotionally breaking when he speaks, “There's so much in my heart that I can't describe to you!” (1396; 64). The viewer can just imagine the agony that is coming off of those words. Tom is always running out of the house. He shares, “I go to the movies because—I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't have much of at work, so I go to the movies. … I like a lot of adventure” (1396; 68, 70). Tom is becoming much aware of how dull his life is compared to the “movies”, and he does not like that. “People go to the movies instead of moving! … It's our turn now, to go to the South Sea Island—to make a safari—to be exotic, far-off!— But I'm not patient. I don't want to wait till then. I'm tired of the movies and I am about to move!” (1409; 114). The way Tom is so emotionally attached to his dreams is allowed. It is always hard giving up one’s own pleasures and joys for

However, Tom feels that he does not belong there; he feels that he belongs somewhere else. He dreams of adventures, like his father before him. On the top of that, his mother constantly tries to inflict him with a feeling of guilt in order to make sure that he stays at home. She claims that he will end as faithless and irresponsible his father. Like his sister, he is victim of his mother’s expectations and comparisons . Unlike Laura, however, he refuses to have his life dictated by them . He protests his right to individualism: "It seems unimportant to you, what I'm doing--what I want to do." As if Tom’s life situation wasn’t already difficult enough as it is, it is made even worse by an important paradox. He constantly tries to escape from his work and familial responsibilities by drinking and going to the movies yet, when given the opportunity, he only uses his artistic prowess to recreate a miserable scene from his past. By writing this play, Tom becomes the victim of his own art as he is unable to use his own talents to bring happiness upon his life. Even after having escaped his monotonous life, he continues to be haunted by his past. Tom feels guilty for abandoning his sister who depended on him. This feeling of guilt is epitomized in his final speech at the end of the play. “Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!” Therefore, Tom, the poet, becomes incapable of expressing any emotion

But, during this time of despair, he runs into Injun Joe, whom he accused of murder. Tom has to avoid Injun Joe and also find a way to escape. Fortunately, Tom is able to escape this giving Becky and him life again, safe at least. This can show the maturation and development of Tom because he had to handle a lot adversity in being trapped, but also being trapped with the guy he accused of murder. While being trapped and scared for his life, Tom is able to persevere not only saving his life, but his love Becky’s as well. This scene takes place at the end of the novel, if it were to take place at the beginning, the immature Tom would have given up and just sat there to die, giving up on life. But, since Tom had already gone through scenes of maturation earlier in the novel, this scene was nothing new to him, he knew he had to be mature and come up with a way to escape in which he did. This can be seen through the quotation: “Judge Thatcher has conceived a great opinion of Tom” (Twain 251). This quotation illustrates the opinion of many around the town once they see that he has matured from the mischievous boy he once was to the mature better acting boy he is

The contrasting nature of these two characters is displayed by Tom’s desire to escape his present situation through any and all means, and by Jim’s desire to look past the ensuing disappointments he has faced in life and proceed with a course of action that will lead him to escape the possibility of spending thirty years in the shoe factory. The fine line between the dreamer and the doer is greatly obscured by ones discouragement, and the others optimism.

He is resentful at his mother Amanda who constantly criticized him to improve himself causing Tom to fill the role as a father figure. He yearned to escape his situation. Tom feels that life is just passing him and says, “whenever I pick up a shoe, I shudder a little thinking how short life is and what I am doing” (62). Tom’s felling of despair and resentment comes from his dreadful job his needs to support his family, and to unavailability to live out his dream. He is frustrated how his father abandoned the family and how he is now the person in charge of supporting them. Tom is reminded every time he picks up a shoe in the warehouse that life is passing him by and he might be stuck in this situation forever. Tom desires to escape this life and become a writer, however at the same time he feels guilty about deserting the family. He shudders as almost in disbelief that at this point in his life he is not living out his dreams causing him to realize they may never become a reality. Tom also faces the conflict between desire and responsibility when he articulates, “[he’s] like [his] father. The bastard son of a bastard! Did you notice how he’s grinning in his picture in there?

Isolation is prevalent in “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams. This is presented in symbols such as blue roses and the glass unicorn, for they are imagined objects and only existent in another fantasy world. Williams incorporates such arcane symbols to draw out his characters, Amanda, Laura, and Tom, and how they cope with confinement. Most importantly, the symbols of the play represent how isolation debilitates them psychologically in an attempt to connect with reality. The jonquils represent how Amanda desperately clings on to her past, resulting in her inappropriate behavior during Jim’s visit. The glass menagerie reveals Laura’s inability to face reality, trapping her in perpetual isolation. The fire escape demonstrates Tom’s journey on conquering desolation because he take action to prevent the detriment that drains him of energy.

Trapped in the mechanical job of typing orders eight hours a day” (Hale). He works at the shoe warehouse to bring in the income to support the family. Tom has to pay for the water bill and the electricity bills. His income goes to his mother and sister and he doesn’t get to spend it on himself. After being the father figure for so long, he’s becomes tired of it.