Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," Is a Term Paper

Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," is a portrayal of the fragile psyches of its characters -- an arrangement of tiny, delicate glass figurines whose essence of life can be shattered very easily. This arrangement takes place in a cramped apartment in St. Louis, inhabited by Amanda Wingfield, her son Tom, and daughter Laura, the husband having deserted the family several years ago. Another character, perhaps the most stable, is Jim O'Connor, a former schoolmate of Tom and Laura.

The play is really a representation of Tom's memory as he admits at the beginning of the play; everything flows from his memories. Amanda vacillates between moments of manic activity and languid recollections of her past southern heritage. She boasts of all the gentlemen callers she has had, and the cotillions she graced. She continually questions her daughter about any dates she might have; and, "how many callers she will be seeing." Laura is a shy girl; whose shyness borders on the pathological. She also has a leg deformity that causes her to use a leg-cast. Laura's shyness gets in the way of her activities; she cannot take any courses or hold on to a job. Her brother Tom works at a warehouse; Tom is a dreamer who wants to join the Merchant Marines and travel the world; he also goes to movies every night.He also spends working hours writing poetry even at the risk of losing his job. Tom's every act is one of escape from the depression at home.

Amanda is concerned that her children do not have any direction in life; her pushiness causes friction with Tom, and Tom occasionally lashes back. Laura response is reticence; her only interest is a collection of delicate glass animal figurines. Tom, once enraged at his mother, causes some of these to break by flinging his coat across the room. Finally, on his mother's insistence, Tom invites his colleague Jim O'Connor to his house in the hope of getting him to date Laura. Amanda much ado at this news; the house is prepared for Jim's arrival. When he finally arrives, Jim recognizes Laura as from high school. Jim, talented in science, sports, singing and debating, won several awards in high school. Laura had a crush on….....