“At the age of fourteen, I discovered writing as an escape from a world of reality in which I felt acutely uncomfortable. It immediatly became my place of retreat, my cave, my refuge.“1
This quotation by Tennessee Williams mirrors his inability to cope with the challenges and strokes of fate of his real life. For example, he felt responsible for the lobotomie of his sister Rose although he had no knowledge about this operation. Furthermore, he could not cope with his social environment, especially with his father`s incapability to handle his introvert son.
With his first success, the play “The Glass Menagerie“ (1944), Williams holds up the mirror to the Broadway audience of the 1950`s who is not willing to face the reality of the postwar period or to digest it`s experiences with the Second World War. In the same way as this generation flies from their war recollections into a problem repressing fictious world and as Williams escapes from his personal reality through writing, the figures of the drama fly from an unsatisfying life into their dreamworlds.
The play deals with the Wingfield family (Amanda, Tom and Laura), who “share[s] a small apartment in a poor section of St. Louis.“2 The family members have, through the visit of a gentlemen caller for Laura (Jim), the chance to realize their dreams. But “the friend Tom brings home to meet Laura [...], although he happens to be the boy she secretly admired in high school, turns out, unfortunately, to be already engaged.“3
Tennessee Williams`s breakthrough “The Glass Menagerie“ is respected to be one of his best plays, with Broadway performances exceeded only by “A Streetcar named Desire“
In this paper it is to point out the character presentation and character constellation in Tennessee Williams`s “The Glass Menagerie“. Firstly, I am going to analyse the character and then comment on his or her relationship to the other characters and so on. The first character to analyse is Amanda, then follow Tom, Jim, and last but not least, Laura.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Mainpart
2.1 Amanda
2.1.1 Amanda´s Relationship to her absent Husband
2.1.2 Amanda`s Relationship to Laura
2.1.3 The Relationship between Amanda and Tom
2.2 Tom
2.2.1 Tom`s Relationship to his Father
2.2.2 Tom`s Relationship to Laura
2.2.3 Tom`s Relationship to Jim
2.3 Jim
2.3.1 The Relationship between Amanda and Jim
2.4 Laura
2.4.1 Laura`s Relationship to Amanda
2.4.2 The Relationship between Laura and Jim
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the character constellation and character presentation in Tennessee Williams's play "The Glass Menagerie." It explores the psychological depth and interpersonal dynamics within the Wingfield family, focusing on how each character's internal struggles and dream-world orientation impact their relationships with others.
- The role of the memory-play structure and the function of the narrator, Tom.
- Amanda Wingfield’s coping mechanisms and her projection of past glory onto her children.
- Laura Wingfield’s isolation, fragility, and the impact of external pressure.
- Jim O'Connor as an emissary of reality and the catalyst for the family's shattered dreams.
- The symbolic significance of objects and religious undertones in the characters' relationships.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.2 The Relationship between Laura and Jim
From this evening on, Amanda`s view of Laura is irrevocably right, because when Amanda shuts the door after Jim, he leaves Laura physically and mentally crippled. “Jim`s visit [...] represents Laura`s first and last glimmer of hope of escape, a brief flirtation with reality and a promise of normalcy which ends in the shattering of illusions and in the loss of hope.“
Jim is able to break through Laura`s isolation by “smiling engagingly at her“ [98,24] and by joking [124,2; 99,2]. He is very friendly and ignores her short answers to his questions in the beginning of their conversation because he already knows that Laura is very shy. After Laura has overcome her shyness she even tells him about her former feelings towards her crippled leg, when she came into the class [101,29-30; 102,1-11].
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides the background of Tennessee Williams's life and the context of the play, establishing the focus on character analysis and relational dynamics.
2. Mainpart: This central section provides a detailed breakdown of the four main characters—Amanda, Tom, Jim, and Laura—investigating their individual motivations and their multifaceted relationships with one another.
Keywords
Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie, character constellation, character presentation, Amanda Wingfield, Tom Wingfield, Laura Wingfield, Jim O'Connor, memory play, symbolism, isolation, dream-world, family dynamics, postwar era, psychological analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the character presentation and the complex constellation of relationships within the Wingfield family in Tennessee Williams's play "The Glass Menagerie."
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The core themes include the characters' struggles with reality versus their self-constructed dream-worlds, the impact of the past, guilt, and the pursuit of escape.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how each character—Amanda, Tom, Jim, and Laura—interacts with others and how these interactions reveal their underlying personalities and psychological states.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The work utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing upon text-based evidence, critical interpretations by scholars, and psychological perspectives on the characters' behaviors.
What topics are discussed in the main part?
The main part provides a deep dive into the specific relationships of each character, such as Amanda's relationship with her children, Tom's relationship with his father and Jim, and Laura's interaction with Jim.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include character constellation, dream-world, memory play, family dynamics, and the psychological impact of social expectations.
How does the author characterize Amanda Wingfield's internal conflicts?
The author highlights Amanda's reliance on memories of the "glorified south" to cope with her current economic hardships and her tendency to project these outdated ideals onto her children.
What is the significance of the "gentleman caller" in the analysis?
The gentleman caller, Jim, is analyzed as both a symbolic emissary of the "real world" and a catalyst who unintentionally destroys the family's illusions and hope for escape.
Why is Tom's role as both narrator and character important?
The author argues that this dual role creates a necessary distance, allowing the audience to perceive the symbolic truth of the play's action through the lens of Tom's memory.
- Quote paper
- Maria Fernkorn (Author), 1999, Character constellation and characterization in Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/76501
