The Glass Menagerie
Tom's Inner Struggle
Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is a memory play in which the main character, Tom Wingfield, recounts the events of his past. The protagonist describes his life at home with his single mother Amanda and painfully sensitive sister Laura in their St. Louise apartment in the 1930s. As the household’s only breadwinner, Tom supports his family through his work at the local factory; however, he aspires to become a writer and live independently. In the absence of a father figure as a provider, Tom is tormented between his desire to live his own life and his sense of obligation to his family.
The first sign of conflict between Tom‘s desire and his sense of obligation emerges as he quarrels with his mom about a book by Mr. Lawrence. Namely, Tom borrows that book from the library, while his mom confiscates it and returns it without his knowledge. As they shout at each other, Amanda equates the library book with “filth” (3.1154), whereas reading that “filth” for Tom is an escape from his miserable life as warehouse worker at Continental Shoemakers. He feels that he is “[making] a slave of himself” (3.1154) by working in a “celotex interior! with-fluorescent – tubes!” (3.1155), all in order to pay the rent and support his family. Clearly, he dreams of living a different life and compensates for his loss by reading books.
The conflict between Tom’s desire and sense of obligation toward his family reemerges as he and Jim, his friend from the warehouse, discuss the importance of movies in life. Going to the movies every single night is another way of escape for Tom from the miseries of his reality. He feels that “People go to the movies instead of moving” (6.1175) and that “Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventure for everybody in America” (6.1175). Clearly, he yearns to have a life similar to what he sees in the movies, he wishes that the only meaning of...
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