The play "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams is a play in which an essential conflict between illusions and dreams for they oppose reality. Williams uses a plethora of symbols to portray the key ideas and difference of dreams and reality especially those of the unicorn in Laura's glass menagerie; the fire-escape and the character of Jim O'Connor.
The three key characters Tom, Amanda and Laura are trapped in circumstances which are beyond their control. In order to cope with their diffculties each character creates his or her own dreams and to a varying extent lives a life of illusion in order to cope. The reality is that Tom is entrapped in the family as he needed to support them, Amanda is trapped by her two children and Laura is trapped by her physical defect of being cripple. Yet, Amanda's illusions always lie with her past while Toms are related to movies and escape and for Laura her illusionary world lie with the unicorn and her glass collections.
English: Tennessee Williams, American playwright; ...
Performance Saratov Puppet Theatre "Teremok" «Gla...
Performance Saratov Puppet Theatre "Teremok" «Gla...Tom is the narrator and the provider for the family where he is trapped in a situation with family obligations. He has to work in a dreaded job in a shoe warehouse to support the family. As a result, he gives up his dream of traveling or even better to be in the "merchant marines" to travel the world and taste excitement. To further bolster his dreams of illusions of the outside world offering him excitement he craves for. "going to the movies because-I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't have much of at work, so I go to the movies". In Tom's statement and Amanda's accusations "The more you shout about my selfishness to me the quicker I'll go, and I won't go to the movies" and "Go,