Glass Menagerie Essay

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In life, the mistakes and events of our past often shape our dreams, hopes, and aspirations for the future. People all have different ways of coping with their disappointment and mistakes. Some people try and better the lives of their children in spite of themselves, whereas others try and fix the mistakes of their parents by leading a different or better life. In The Piano Lesson by August Winston, Doaker is actively trying to get rid of the piano because he feels it represents the mistakes and terrors of his family’s past. Discordantly, In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Amanda forces her dreams, which she was not able to achieve, onto Laura, hence living vicariously through her daughter.
Doaker’s fight with his sister represents …show more content…

Laura and Amanda contrast each other, but do not complement each other. Laura’s severe anxiety and lack of self respect is not helped by Amanda’s high-expectations and oblivious approach to Laura’ problems. Amanda is constantly talking about her suitors and her glory days, expecting Laura to lead a similar life, “I remember one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain -” Laura and her brother cut her off, and Laura soon replies, ”I’m not like you mother” (4). Despite Laura’s futile attempts to cut her mother off, Amanda continuously talks about her past self synonymously with what she expects from Laura. Amanda and Laura live in separate universes which revolve around themselves. However, Amanda wants Laura to be the ideal and nonexistent version of Amanda’s past self. Originally, Amanda pushes Laura to go to school in order to become independent and self sufficient. However, once that plane fails Amanda gives up, “Fifty dollars' tuition, all of our plans - my hopes and ambition for you - just gone up the spout, just gone up the spout like that” (14). Next, Amanda proceeds to push Laura to marry and find love. She is quick to give up on her daughter and tries to push Amanda to be like her. Although Amanda claims to have been popular and successful, that is not the reality, it was her dream. Amanda, now older, forces her dreams onto

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