The Fantasy World of The Glass Menagerie

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Recommended: Theme of illusion and reality in the glass menagerie

The Fantasy World of The Glass Menagerie

In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams creates a world in which

the characters are disillusioned by the present. Amanda, Tom, and Laura

achieve this disillusionment by resorting to separate worlds where they can

find sanctuary. Each character develops their own world, far away from

reality.

Amanda frees herself from the harsh realities of life by constantly

reminding herself of the past. To begin with, she continuously repeats the

story of the "one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain" when she received

seventeen gentlemen callers (1195). Furthermore, she keeps a "larger-than-

life-size" photograph of her husband over the mantel who left the family

when the children were young. When Jim came over for dinner, Amanda wears

the "girlish frock of yellowed voile with a blue silk sash" that she wore

on the day she met her husband (1222). Amanda obsesses with the past, and

at the same time damaging the children psychologically.

Constant allusions to the past have psychologically

affected Tom and Laura, trapping them into Amanda$BCT(J lost world. Tom

and Laura fail to survive in the present because they are always trying to

live through the past. However, the past no longer exists, causing them

distress in their journey through life. Tom is unsuccessful with his job

at the warehouse and Laura cannot seem to fit in with the outside world.

These personal downfalls in life drive Tom into a life of poetry and movies,

and Laura into a world of glass figurines.

Tom is unsatisfied with his work at the warehouse and feels his

life lacks adventure. Therefore, he finds it through writing poetry and

watching movies. When business is slow at the shoe warehouse, Tom goes to

the washroom to work on his poetry. Tom finds adventure in poetry because

he is able to create and control his own world. Along with poetry, Tom

retreats to the movies every evening to fulfill his adventurous nature.

Amanda questions Tom, "why do you go to the movies so much, Tom?" Tom

replies, "I go to the movies because$BM*(J like adventure. Adventure is

something I don$BCU(J have much of at work, so I go to the movies"(1210).

Tom$BCT(J obsessions with adventure leaves him no time or energy to

concentrate on his present responsibilities at work. Therefore, he leaves

Amanda and Laura for the Merchant Marines, a place where he can live out

his dreams for adventure. However, he cannot forget Laura, "I tried to

leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!"(1247).

Laura's problem, according to Jim, is her "inferiority complex"

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