The Glass Menagerie Traits

There are four people who are indisputably characters in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie: Tom, Amanda, Laura, and Jim. Tom has a different opinion however; he believes that the portrait of Mr. Wingfield is also a character. Although he never sets foot on stage or utters a word, Mr. Wingfield is present in Amanda’s talk of him, present in Tom’s bad habits, and present in his supposed second coming, Jim. His portrait allows for the family to feel his presence without any effort to be present. Tom inherits Mr. Wingfield’s worst habit: going out to drink which, was at its worst shortly before Mr. Wingfield left. Jim picks up on Mr. Wingfield’s best: his charm, his good looks, and looks to the future in his profession.

Mr. Wingfield’s portrait makes Amanda feel the need to substitute an actual father figure with stories of a past where Mr. Wingfield was present. Her attempts to fill this void anger Tom on a consistent basis and ultimately cause him to leave. Amanda’s aim is not solely for the reason of helping her children: it helps bring her back to her glory days. Her ramblings about the the past reveal what could have been for Amanda: widow

The traits are just spread out among multiple people. Amanda retells Mr. Wingfield’s past and gives reasons why she married him. She tells of his terrible tendencies. These tendencies, the worst part of Mr. Wingfield are all passed on to Tom. The similarities help explain Tom’s feelings about Amanda. These are not at all positive and cause him to leave. Mr. Wingfield’s best tendencies are also expressed. They are expressed by Jim. While Jim shows the best in Mr. Wingfield; a living, breathing example of what Mr. Wingfield’s charm must have looked like, he also shows the worst in Mr. Wingfield. He shows what a fraud looks like and how they go about their business. Mr. Wingfield is present throughout The Glass Menagerie although not always in the same