Beauty

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Transparent Beauty
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross describes people, specifically the Wingfield family, as “stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Through the play, Laura Wingfield’s beauty is masked by her crippled appearance and glass figurines. However, Amanda Wingfield’s beauty is hidden by her nostalgic controlling past. Amanda’s son and Laura’s brother, Tom, has his glowing dreams and future crushed by the regret of abandonment. Throughout the play, The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, the reader is tested and persuaded by the three main characters to be the protagonist of the 1945 play. To begin, the audience may feel Amanda Wingfield, mother of Tom and Laura Winfield, is the protagonist because of her developed personality. Whereas, critics would consider Tom as the central character because he is the play’s narrator. Finally, the reader may consider Laura as the focus because of her capacity to change through the play. In essence, depending on interpretations, any of these three characters are possible protagonists. First, some readers feel Amanda Wingfield is the best choice as the protagonist. It is very possible Amanda is the main character because of her ability and reasons to act. Amanda is a flat character trying to ensure that her daughter, Laura, has “plans and provisions” to keep her from “[drifting] along doing nothing” (34). Amanda may be the main focus because she has the most to lose and the most to gain. Amanda is nostalgic for her past, when men catered to her every need. Amanda wants to rely on a man to care for Tom’s “unmarried sister who’s crippled and has no job” (96)....

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..., and the importance of her actions. However, Amanda is not the protagonist because of her negative characteristics, her pessimistic reasons, and her selfish behavior. Tom is another candidate as the protagonist because he narrates the play, making his thoughts appear most throughout the performance. But, he is not the protagonist because he chooses to desert his family for his own selfish reasons. Some people feel Laura is the protagonist because she is most likely to change and is the center of the ongoing conflicts. Laura is indeed the best choice as a protagonist because she breaks through her wall, becoming a sophisticated lady. Tennessee Williams gave protagonist-like qualities to all of the main characters to let the audience be independent readers. The critics deciphered the difference between three main characters to determine the best suited protagonist.

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