A Glass Menagerie is a play written by Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams wrote A Glass Menagerie in 1944 to examine the numerous dimensions of human living and relationships with the earth and all its elements. The play depicts a community in which everyone is free to express himself and share opinions on various topics. The play is set in an apartment in St. Louis, where several people from all walks of life are brought together to represent the various situations that mankind are likely to confront. Wingfield Amanda may be considered the most conspicuous one in the story as she had a lot of comfort in her younger days - all the time to hang out with her friends, go to parties, and plentiful provision of whatever she wanted, since she grew up in a wealthy family.

Wingfield’s dad was a prominent businessman, and this is what inspired her to demand for a better life for her kids, one of them being Tom Wingfield. Laura is her daughter, and Jim is an old school acquaintance to Tom and Laura. Tom and his mother are always seen to be having a lot of conversations, especially in the past and the present. Most of the topics of discussion are limited to social and economic life, both for the future and past. Amanda’s statement to Tom “You live in a dream; you manufacture illusions.” has a sense of irony, as well as illusions.

Tom’s Illusions, as indicated in the Play

According to Tom, the relationship between an individual and the society is affected negatively by money as it is quoted, “money and wealth cause rifts between the societal, economic classes and therefore, I would rather live on average income, rather than have a lot that would destroy my ties with the community.”(Saddik 23). This is not a true assertion since most people get closer to the society due to wealth. Progressive liberalism is a cause of dynamic changes in the social environment, due to the inclusion of every member of the society in development activities. Ms. Wingfield supports her arguments by saying, “The economic markets encompass all classes of people, regardless of their economic backgrounds. Chances are created from a higher economic class and a guaranteed commercial freedom for you and your family. Ms. Wingfield says:

I agree that an unlimited market for goods and services is generated when a particular portion of the population are inclined towards buying particular items due to their higher prices, and the belief that higher prices come with better quality, “the society expects better people in a growing social environment, and these come with higher rewards”(Kushner 17).

However, protection of moral and civic righteousness may not be easy in such an environment, since once the economy is in the hands of the effluent, only activities of the interest of the effluent are considered. In this case, Amanda is very right, since she gives s shape of the realistic world and tries to drive Tom to its direction.

Tom also cites the involvement of children in the same entertainment spots; where adults attend to enjoy their time. He asserts that both have equal rights to know what happens in the ‘other world’ so that they can prepare for the same in their future. Tom’s illusions are even more evident when he declares to his mother “The warehouse is where I work, not where I know things about people” after Amanda tells him that he lives in a dream (Williams 1312). No one expects Tom to come up with such statement even after initially saying that the gentleman caller was his friend. Tom decides to go to the movies as a way to escape the quarrel with the mother. However, just before he leaves the house, the unexpected happens, and the events that immediately unfold are unbelievable - “Tom smashes his glass on the floor. He plunges out on the fire, escape, slamming the door. Laura screams in fright. The dance-hall music becomes louder. Tom stands on the fire escape, gripping the rail. The moon breaks through the storm clouds, illuminating his face.” (Williams 1313). Nobody understood Tom and his weird behavior and seemingly Tom lives in dream as the mother says.

However, there are some negative impacts that such activities (going to the entertainment joints together with the adults, going to the movie, or having the freedom to do as one wish) may have on the children. These involve the low self-esteem that some of the children may have for themselves, in the case of a loss. It has been found out that forty percent of the children that participate in the joint parties do experience psychological problems while sixty percent are not happy with the event and their bodies. Consequently, Amanda fusses and frets over Tom and Laura and she looks desperate regarding the kind of life they have to live at the Blue Mountain: “Her recollections of her former life are not the nattering of a nutcase, but are brought to life so vividly and with such immediacy by Miss Hazlett you almost can reach out and touch them right along with Amanda.” (Blanchard). This shows that Amanda has information on all the negative aspects of this kind of lifestyle, though she could be involved in such activities at her young age; hence it sounds ironical. The realistic part of it is also shown from her statement.

Conclusion

The play is an embodiment of different human characters and themes, from the statements made by Amanda, Tom, and other minor characters. However, a strong analysis is needed to understand the motive behind the talks of each character. For instance, Amanda manifests the role of a parent in the family, and how their past can be a lesson to their kids. Several lessons can be derived from the play, for a better understanding of the living space.

Works Cited

Blanchard, Jayne. DC Theatre Scene Review: “The Glass Menagerie”. Baltimore: Everyman Theatre, Sept 11, 2013.Web. April, 16, 2017.

Kushner, Tony. The Glass Menagerie, New Directions. Fairleigh: Fairleigh University Press, 2011. Print.

Saddik, Annette J. The Politics of Reputation: The Critical Reception of Tennessee Williams' Later Plays. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1998. Print.

Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print.