The Glass Menagerie1

Everyone has their own world in which they indulge themselves in whether it is real or just a fantasy. In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, everyone in the play experiences their own little world, and the shock it is to be thrown from it. Tom supports his family despite his unhappiness of his world. He tries to please Amanda by being the sole supporter, but only gets rewarded by Amanda's constant nagging and suspicion. Eventually Tom finds himself more like his father as he seeks adventure in the movies and hangs out on the fire escape he avoids suffocation, and desperately seeks the life he always desired; the life of adventure.

By hanging out on the fire escape, Tom finds a temporary safe haven from Amanda. With Amanda nagging Tom about every minute action, like mastication, Tom needed to find somewhere to escape. Perhaps, even more, the fire escape shows various things about Tom's personality. Since Amanda and Laura have their illusionary worlds inside, Tom can easily escape these worlds by going out on the firescape. He does not desire to be part of an imaginary world, which only proves to be the downfall of Amanda and Laura. He realizes that the world is not what Amanda has made it seem inside

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Being realistic, Tom escaped from the fantasy world of Amanda and Laura by hanging out on the fire escape, even though he could never fully escape. Tom faces death by emotional and spiritual suffocation if he does not find away out of the house. Also, during his reflections on the firescape he is not really separating himself from the imaginary world because that metal frame is still anchored to the apartment wall. It became unseemingly impossible for Tom to enjoy himself with Amanda's nagging. Also, the coffin itself symbolizes the lifestlye Tom is trying to escape. That organization was his savor from suffocation and a ticket to the life of adventure.

Throughout the play there are many symbols representing different aspects of all the characters. His coffin trick is a symbol of Tom's suffocating life. Unfortunately for Tom, his life was cramped like the coffin and he was slowly suffocating emotionally and spiritually. Finally, during the coffin trick, Malvoli not only escapes, but does it without disturbing any of the nails. A long time ago, Amanda's husband abandoned her and her children becaouse of his unhappy home life. Although he loves his family, the thought of being cooped up in a lifestlye he desires not to live is death itself.

With such a dull and stressful life, Tom was always looking for adventure like his father. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing a single nail" (415). In the play, the portriat is a consant reminder to Amanda of the past she once knew and cherished.

Approximate Word count = 817
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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