The Psychological Costs of Societal Ideals in The Glass Menagerie

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It is an innate desire of all human beings to be successful. Indeed, with success comes a feeling of personal accomplishment, fulfillment, and pride. The prospect of such a future can drive many into great lengths to achieve their goal. While the ideal images of accomplishment may differ slightly from person to person, they are all ideals constructed by society. Unfortunately, society has a tendency to idealize these standards, placing them on a level that is both unreachable and impossible to achieve. As such, these unattainable images of success have driven numerous individuals into misery and hopelessness as they desperately attempt to reach that impossible ideal. For many, their own inevitable failures ultimately result in psychological turmoil and distress. Such is the case with the Wingfield household in Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, which illustrates an American family's vain attempt at achieving the "American Dream". Through the portrayal of the deteriorating mental conditions of the Wingfields, Williams reveals the destructive psychological consequences of failing to meet societal standards of success.

Amanda Wingfield's unconscious denial of her dismal socioeconomic position forces her to seek solace in an idealized past, which ultimately traps her within a world of illusion. Throughout the play, Amanda's only connection with the present is portrayed through her longing "for a stable family structure, that is, a stable means of support, for her daughter", one in which her daughter, Laura, will "find a suitable husband, one who will not drink excessively, who will find excitement enough in a conventional career and family" (Domina). In other words, Amanda desires to be a part of the successful American h...

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...hed from a painful reality.

Works Cited

"Defense Mechanisms." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 168-170. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Mar 2012. .

DiYanni, Robert. "The Glass Menagerie." Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 1780-831. Print.

Domina, L. M. "An overview of The Glass Menagerie." Drama for Students. Detroit: Gale. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. .

Dusenbury, Winifred L. "Loneliness in The Glass Menagerie." Readings on The Glass Menagerie. Thomas Siebold. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1998. 66-72. Print.

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