Freedom and Imprisonment in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie The themes of freedom and imprisonment play an important part in the play ‘The glass Menagerie’. The contrast between the two themes is used effectively by Williams, which can be seen in the characters and the plot itself. The opening scene shows Tom, dressed as a merchant sailor, introducing the play. This is in the future, after Tom has left, and as it is a memory play, Tom recalls the events through his perception. Tom, like his father, left his family to escape into a world where he no longer feels trapped. He is dressed in a sailor’s uniform, which suggests that he travels and has a much more exciting life. However, he will also still be given orders, although he must be happier listening to somebody else tell him what to do than Amanda. Tom escapes from his life through the cinema and alcohol. This has a negative effect on the family and is often the source of arguments between him and Amanda. He takes frequent trips to the fire escape. This is symbolic because it shows his wish to escape and the fire escape is just outside his front door, and therefore shows how easy it is for him to leave. Amanda escapes the reality of her life by remembering better times in her past. These stories may not be true and we only have Amanda’s word. She appears to tell the story of her past in Blue Mountain all the time. When she is about to recite the tale again Tom says ‘I know what’s coming!’ but Laura knows how much Amanda likes to talk about her past, so lets her tell it. This is because of Laura’s character that she likes to please people. When she talks about her past, a spotlight appears on stage pointing at Amanda. ‘Her eyes lift, her face glows, her voice becomes rich and elegiac’, which shows how much more she enjoyed life before she met the father. She shows regret in her tone when she says she picked ‘your father’ out of a choice of
shall firstly do a summery of the play and give a basic image of what
At the very beginning of the play (Act 1 Scene1) it is clear that the
meanings along with what is going on in the plot of the play, it is
the main theme of the play. With out this scene in the play I don’t
Later approaching the tragedy of of the book, Tom displays another act of sub-human behavior, nonchalantly brushing off his affairs, “And what’s more I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.”(201). Tom in a sense...
In The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, the glass menagerie is a clear and powerful metaphor for each of the four characters, Tom, Laura, Amanda, and the Gentleman Caller. It represents their lives, personality, emotions, and other important characteristics.
Every time the family comes to a confrontation someone retreats to the past and reflects on life as it was back then, not dealing with life as it is for them today. Tom, assuming the macho role of the man of the house, babies and shelters Laura from the outside world. His mother reminds him that he is to feel a responsibility for his sister. He carries this burden throughout the play. His mother knows if it were not for his sisters needs he would have been long gone. Laura must pickup on some of this, she is so sensitive she must sense Toms feeling of being trapped. Tom dreams of going away to learn of the world, Laura is aware of this and she is frightened of what may become of them if he were to leave.
Mr. Tom is an elderly gentleman who lives in the country of England. He is quiet and keeps to himself. Throughout the novel Mr. Tom changes and becomes a new person. With the outbreak of war he is responsible for the care of a young evacuee, Will. He and Tom quickly grow to care for each other. Will is given into Tom's care with only the clothes on his back. Tom talks to Mrs. Henley, a local neighbor, and asks her if she would be kind enough to knit Will a jersey. She replied, "You ent gotta clothe em" but Mr. Tom was persistent and was able to get Will a new, thick jersey made (18). Tom takes real good care of William and does his best to look after the young child. While Will is around him, Mr. Tom isn't so deeply depressed about his wife and son, who have both departed. He is more social with the rest of the town and has a more happy expression. When the young evacuee is sent back home Tom worries, when he goes to check on him he finds him in startling health. He even breaks the law to get his frail body back into the country side with him. Mr. Tom is soon Will's adopted father, nearing the end of the novel Will notices something about Tom. "[He] noticed how old and vulnerable Tom looked" (317).
the play, so we can see the way they change when they meet for the
In the study of Tennessee Willliams' plays: "Suddenly Last Summer" and "The Glass Menagerie", we can find a great deal of autobiographical connections. "The Glass Menagerie" is particularly considered the author's most biographical work. It is described by the playwright as "a memory play"; indeed, it is a memory of the author's own youth, an expression of his own life and experiences. Similarly, "Suddenly Last Summer" includes many of Tennesse Williams' real life details.
of - was charm!' - or trails off - 'And then I - (she stops in front
love aspect. The whole play is based in a week of typical lives of the
The play is adapted by Patrick Barlow. The play is about a
written in between 384 and 222 BC, and his views were taken on by some