Misguided Love in The Glass Menagerie Essay - 1404 Words

Misguided Love in The Glass Menagerie The Glass Menagerie, written by playwright Tennessee Williams, is the story of a family torn apart by heartbreak from the past and tragedy from the present. Williams parallels this play to his true life experience with his own family, which makes The Glass Menagerie an even more tragic version of what happens to a family when love is lost and abandonment is reality. Providing for a family can be an overwhelming responsibility, for there are many pitfalls along the way, some families are able to cope, some are not, and The Glass Menagerie gives us insight into what truly happens to a family when faced with abandonment. The story begins in The Wingfield apartment in the rear of a building,†¦show more content†¦Laura, crippled at birth, is so profoundly introverted, partly because of her handicap, but mostly because of her mothers inability to come to grips with her beautiful daughters fragile state of mind. One evening at the insistence of Amanda, Tom brings a gentlemen caller, Jim, home for dinner; in hopes as Amanda puts it, that he will surely see how lovely her daughter is, and will ultimately win Lauras heart and take care of her for the rest of her life. Jim and Laura soon realize that they know one another from high school, and quickly establish a friendly conversation. Laura, for a brief moment, releases her shy and sullen personality and shares her precise glass figurines with Jim. Jim becomes infatuated by Laura, her innocence, her vulnerability, her quaint disability, and in a moment of passion, kisses her, only to realize his foolish gesture was a grave mistake; for his heart is already taken by another. He awkwardly apologizes to Laura, and abruptly excuses himself, leaving Laura to sink even further away from reality. Amanda, of course, blames Tom for the dinner fiasco, and humiliates him beyond the breaking point, leaving the family torn apart. Tom can no longer bare his mothers constant accusation that he will turn out to be just like his father; and Amandas inability to help her precious, innocent,Show MoreRelatedThe Glass Menagerie By William Shakespeare Essay1489 Words   |  6 PagesWe all want to disappear at times†¦ escape even. In the end we all know that we cannot run from our problems, no matter where you run they are always there lurking in the shadows. Tennessee William’s 1944 play â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† is a remembrance of time long ago and wanting to escape the unhappy, confining lives of Tom, Amanda, Laura and Jim. Although they are unhappy with their lives they choose to hide from the reality. Amanda is stuck in a lifetime ago- her youth ba ck in St. Louis in the 1930sRead More Illusion vs. Reality in The Glass Menagerie Essay2797 Words   |  12 PagesIllusion vs. Reality in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses the roles of the members of the Wingfield family to highlight the controlling theme of illusion versus reality. The family as a whole is enveloped in mirage; the lives of the characters do not exist outside of their apartment and they have basically isolated themselves from the rest of the world. Even their apartment is a direct reflection of the past as stories are often recalled from theRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams2151 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The Glass Menagerie† is a riveting play by Tennessee Williams that takes place in 1930’s St. Lois. This play is unique in the manner that it is a memory play. The narrator, Tom Wingfield, is also one of the main characters. Tom is the son to Amanda Wingfield, and the brother to Laura Wingfield. Toms father, whom is referred to as Mr. Wingfield, left his family and has only sent one postcard from Mexico since his desertion. Alth ough Mr. Wingfield deserted his family his picture still remains