Glass menagerie analysis

Essay by acychan86 December 2003

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All stories have a protagonist in which that character is the main character of the plot. Sometimes there is more than one protagonist. This is the case for The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, in which the plot revolves around the Wingfield family. The Wingfield family consists of Tom, a thirty-something warehouse employee; Amanda, a loving mother who is a little too overprotective of her children; and Laura, Tom's older sister who is incredibly shy. Although there are three protagonists to this play, Tom is a more predominant character than the other two.

This play is mainly about Tom and how he deals with the difficulties in her life. After his father ran away and abandoned his family, Tom assumed the role as "the man of the house." Because of this, he feels obligated to stay at home and look over his mother and sister. Not only is Tom a character in this play, but he also serves as the narrator, further putting him into the spotlight.

Because all of what happens in the play is through Tom's memory, the audience/reader is exposed to the play through Tom's eyes and memories. Moreover, because all the audience knows is what Tom tells them, the play is completely told through Tom's bias. Although Tom loves his mother and sister very much, he wants to break out of the systematic life that he leads. He aspires to become a poet and years for adventure. I think the main story in this play is Tom's dilemma between leaving his family and going off to chase his own dreams, or staying at home and taking care of his mother and sister. Unlike the other storylines in the play, Tom's is one that runs throughout the play, from the beginning to the end. Laura...