The Glass Menagerie: A Play by Tennessee Williams

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Amanda’s withdrawal into the past
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The Glass Menagerie is a play written by Williams who started writing at the age of fourteen as a way of escaping from the life situation that he faced. It has seven scenes that express a narrative speech. The play has five characters that include; Amanda Wingfield, Laura Wingfield, Tom Wingfield and Jim O’Connor. “The main aim of the script is not the action but rather the revelation of the characters” (Williams, p. 10).

Amanda’s withdrawal into the past

According to the play, Amanda is a mother to Tom and Laura. She was abandoned by her alcoholic husband when the children were young (Williams, p. 14). Therefore she brought up her children alone but was helped by his son Tom to support the family. She appears to be harsh especially to her children but it is because she cares for their future. She has a desire for her children to live independent life. This is confirmed when she is motivating her son to work hard in the warehouse. Amanda’s character is mostly influenced by her Christian values and morals (Williams, p. 55). She persuades her son to ensure that he does not become a drunkard in the future.

In most instances in the play, Amanda kept withdrawing from her past. One of the instances is when she compares Tom’s character with that of his father. She comments” more and more like his father, drinks, smoke, and bring home books” (Williams, p. 40). This character or behavior annoyed her mostly because her husband who abandoned her had the same characters but not because of her Christian morals.

Other than bad memories, Amanda also had good memories of her past. This is evident when she tells her children of how they used to entertain in the gentlemen callers (Williams p.9). She explains to her daughter Laura how a girl was supposed to behave and she was also worried because her daughter was not yet a spinster (Williams, p. 5).

In addition, she also remembers her youth days. For example, she remembered the fervor that surrounded she called ‘Gone with the wind’. In her youth memories, she comments, “I’ve seen such pitiful cases in the south- barely tolerated spinsters… Eating the crust of humility all their life” (Williams, p. 51). This memory made her help her daughter to escape from becoming an old maid. Tom’s nights in the movies reminds her of her wayward husband.

Amanda’s withdraw to the past suggests that she does not want anybody else and especially her children to go through the bad experiences she had in the past. For example, in the case of Tom’s drinking habit, she does not want him to live a life like that of his father. Her memories in most instances help her to advise and encourage her children.

Conclusion

In the play, Amanda’s character is the best for a parent. This is because she is using her past to guide her children because she wants them to have a better future than hers. That is why she is encouraging Tom to work hard in the warehouse and Laura to take typing course. She also does not want her son Tom to be a drunkard like his father.

Works Cited

Williams, Tennessee. The glass menagerie. Oxford: Heineman, 1996. Print

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The Glass Menagerie: A Play by Tennessee Williams

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