The Glass Menagerie Analysis

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Tennessee Williams’ excellent use of themes to portray characters in his world class, classic play “The Glass Menagerie” makes the play enthralling till the very end of it. Out of many themes like loneliness, illusions and distress; disintegration of the family seems to be a major plot of the play. Undoubtedly, all the themes displayed in “The Glass Menagerie” are as much important for the success of the play which keeps the audience indulged into it throughout. Nature and lifestyle of each character plays a vital role in creating events and setting the theme of the story. From an ambitious, energetic and hard-working young man, Tom to a physically challenged and unsociable girl, Laura; many qualities of a human being have been portrayed in …show more content…

Every member of WIngfield family described by Tennessee William uses illusion to protect himself/herself from a reality which is oppressive and ultimately destructive. Laura makes the most obvious use of illusions in her creation of a world of glass which becomes more real to her than the “real” world outside the glass menagerie. The world of glass menageries is very beautiful, delicate, and tender for Laura where she finds the most comfort to escape from the chaos of everyday life. At the end of the play, Laura returns to this glass world from which Jim almost took her away during his visit as the gentleman caller. After encounter with “the gentleman caller” and being let down by him, Laura seems to have become a fragile piece of glass, lost forever in the illusionary world that she has created, who would never let the outside world impinge on her or hurt her again. (NOVICK, J. “The Harvard …show more content…

Qualities of characters observed in all characters of the Wingfield family are not that rare to find in today’s world. Many families seem to live in distress due to one or the other defect in the quality of a member of the family. Laura’s unsociable and shy characters can often be seen through many children. Amanda’s pushy character or high expectations from her children is also quite common in many mothers. Tom’s character of an ambitious young man, who likes to chase his dreams but is strangled in the family due to his responsibilities towards the family, is often found in many

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