The Glass Menagerie

The Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, tells of the tragic life of a family as they try to cope on their own after the man of the house leaves them without warning. They each have their own issues and ways in which they cope with this reality. We may wonder why people act the way they do, and usually there is more to it than meets the eye. At first glance, Amanda Wingfield may seem rather selfish in her wants and desires at the cost of her son Tom’s own life ambitions, but is she? Her wants and desires are for her daughter and not just for herself. Any mother wants the best for their children, and Amanda is no exception, especially when it comes to her shy, disabled daughter, Laura. She also wants better for her son, Tom, than what he has, but it does seem that her priorities lie with Laura. Her judgement might be clouded by the fact that Laura is older and disabled, and in time Tom will be able to move on after Laura is well taken care of.
At this time though, Tom is thrust into a role that he is unhappy with. He has taken on a job that he doesn’t like in order to help support his family. Sometimes in life we have to deal with the consequences that are not of our own making, and if and how we survive depends on our own inner strength and the support we receive from others. Each of the Wingfields have their own difficulties in dealing with the situation, and although they do the best they can, they all cope by escaping reality. Laura tends to her delicate glass animal collection, Tom ventures out to the movies and drinks against his mother’s wishes, and Amanda relives her past by reminiscing and remebering happier days. She wants happier days for her family and is just doing the best she can under the circumstances. That is all anyone can expect from themselves or from each other. We can only do the best we can in life.

Submitted by Natalie McCann