Glass Menagerie
In the conflict between Tom and Amanda in Scene Three, which character do you sympathize with, and why? What do you think Williams wants you to feel about Amanda?
I sympathize with Amanda in this scene because she tries to love Tom, but he is just being a complete jerk to Amanda. I think that Tom wants to love Amanda, but he is just very stressed all the time and her happy go lucky attitude just makes him really mad and snap sometimes.
Why does Laura say about the broken horn on the unicorn: "Maybe it's a blessing in disguise"?
In the story Laura is always different from other girls. So the unicorn signifies Laura. Jim says, "Unicorns, aren't they extinct in the modern world? . . . Poor little fellow he must feel sort of lonesome." (Williams 780, lines 10-14) . When the unicorn falls and the horn breaks off Jim apologizes, but Laura says, "Now its just like all the other horses . . . . Maybe its a blessing in disguise" (780, lines 89-91). It is as if she recognizes that it is hard being different and is expressing her hope of becoming more normal herself. "Now he will feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don't have horns" (781, lines 7-9).
9. Few people have Laura's specific physical handicap. Do you think most people can identify with her? Why or why not?
While people can't relate directly to Laura's personal handicap, many people can relate to having a physical injury of some kind. Laura "has a little defect--hardly noticeable, even" (1.2.86-87). I think that most people can't relate to Laura's being crippled like she is, but many people have had an injury of one kind or another that made walking for them difficult. In this experience one can really relate to what Laura is going through, even if that relation is not of a situation exactly like Laura's.
At the beginning of Scene Four, both Tom and Amanda try to make peace. Why do they begin to argue again?
After their fight the previous scene, Amanda refused to speak to Tom however, the next day, after Laura's goading, Tom tries to make up with their mother. This doesn't last for long because they start arguing soon after about Tom and how often he goes to the movies and whether or not he is happy at home. Amanda asks, "But why —why, Tom —are you always so restless? Where do you go to, nights?" (1.4.1-2). Tom explains that he goes to the movies so much because he lacks any adventure in his life or work. In addition, Amanda believes that the "instincts" he mentions are not characteristics of good Christian men.
How does Amanda transform herself for the gentleman caller? How is her attitude about their guest different from Laura's?
Amanda acts as if she is trying to get the callers attention herself. She dresses in a beautiful dress, which gets her noticed by Tom and Jim, and says she needs to get the house ready. She pretends to love cooking and talking with guests. She is excited to have a gentlemen caller for Laura finally. Laura is very nervous, and can barely bring herself to answer the door.
What does Amanda ask Tom to do?
Amanda asks Tom to "keep an eye out for potential suitors" at the warehouse, upon which Tom picks his friend Jim O'Connor, and invites him to dinner, without realizing the conflict this causes.
The basic dramatic situation from which a play can grow involves a person or persons whom viewers care about, who are in more or less desperate situations with a great deal at stake. Such characters decide to act and then actually take steps to achieve their "wants." Discuss how these dramatic elements are used up to this point in The Glass Menagerie.
Amanda desperately wants Laura to find a nice young man to marry. When she finds out that Laura hasn't even been attending business school she worries that Laura won't find a successful career or a spouse. When Laura leaves one day, Amanda begs Tom to find a gentleman caller at the warehouse to come over for dinner to meet Laura one day. When Tom argues that there's not many nice young men at the warehouse, Laura continues to persist that he find someone. She says, "Will you? Will you? Will you dear?" (766.23-25). Tom finally agrees, and this leads him to inviting Jim over. Laura's persistence leads her to find someone to come over for Laura, and Tom takes a step in the plot by actually inviting Jim over.
How did you feel about Jim O'Connor in this scene?
At the begining of the gentlemen caller scene and throughout most of it I thought Jim O'Connor was a decent guy. He is consistently polite to Amanda throughout the evening, indulging her in her jokes when the lights when out and he said "No ma'am, what the answer?" (Scene VII, line 77). I thought he was kind when he tried to talk to Laura and made her feel less shy. Yet there were times in his conversation with Laura that I thought he was too self-centered, like after his big speech to Laura about slef confidence he turned the subject right back to him and said "Take me for example," (Scene VII, line 51). He immediatly brought the attention back to himself which I thought was odd, considering previously he had been trying to get Laura to feel better about herself. He seems to be a genuinely kind person and wants to help others, yet is still drawn back to himself and thinks about the time when he could have done anything.
What are your feelings for the gentleman caller at this point in the play? How do you feel about Tom?
At this point in the play Jim appears to be a perfect gentleman and filled with the charm he is known for. However when he is talking to Laura he shows he is slightly full of himself such as when he brags about his people analyzing skills, "Now I've made a regular study of it [science], but I have a friend who says I can analyze people better than doctors that make a proffesion of it." (Scene VII Line17-20) However he is still kindhearted and wanting to help Laura. I personally do like Jim and believe he is truly being genuine with how he is talking to Laura. However, with how foward he was with Laura telling her she needed to quit being so shy, it made me see him as being a little harsh. I know though he was saying it with best intentions because when he called her unique and pretty and tells her he wasn't just saying that you could tell he wasn't just being a fake guy. I like Tom too, I feel sorry for him that he is so miserable working there and how often he gets in arguments with his mother. He is good brother and is essentially paying the bills with his job he doesn't feel too strongly for. I think Tom seems like a dreamer and the reason he goes to the movies is for adventure so he seems to want more in life than just a traditional family with a routine job.
Each of the Wingfields escapes from unpleasant reality into a comforting, private world. In Scene One, Amanda escapes from her present circumstances by remembering and talking about her past youth, her beauty, and her romantic successes. How does Laura escape from the real world? What does Tom do to escape from his unhappiness?
Laura escapes from a harsh reality into a world of glass figurines. We know from the begining that Laura cares about her glass figurines but we do not learn to what extent until Jim is over for dinner and Laura tells him that "My glass collection takes up a good deal of time. Glass is something you have to take care of good" (Scene VII, line 96). Tom attempts to escape from his unhappiness by going to the movies very frequently, especially after he has another shouting match with Amanda. While we can tell that when Laura escapes into her glass world, she is happy, the same cannot be said for Tom. He always tries to escape his life by going to the movies yet he never can really escape his life as he knows he must always return.
8. In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams has created "theater poetry" by using various arts besides language. For example, he uses the two transparencies at the beginning of the play to enhance the idea that this is a memory play. Check through the stage directions and dialogue to find other uses of visual and sound effects, which, combined with words, help to create "theater poetry." Do any of these effects add a touch of humor to the play?
Tennessee Williams dissimulates "theater poetry" throughout his play mostly to add symbolism. For instance, when Laura hands Jim her unicorn glass figure, she says, "Hold him over the light, he loves the light" (Williams, Act I Scene VII). The unicorn is a symbol of Laura, and of course, how the words should be interpreted can be the subject of long essays, but perhaps then, the light stands for self-confidence. Williams complements this with some imaging as earlier on, stage directions indicate that Laura should turn "in her hands a piece of glass to cover her tumult" (Williams, Act I Scene VII). With whatever meaning, The combination of both exemplifies the "theater poetry" prevalent in the play. As was mentioned earlier, Tennessee Williams seems to use his poetry for symbolism rather than comic use; nonetheless, it still enthralls readers.
How is Laura's relationship with Tom different from her relationship with Amanda? How can you tell that Tom is truly fond of Laura?
The relationship that Tom has with Laura is more understanding than the relatinship Laura has with Amanada. This is because Tom seems to care about Laura's feelings rather than getting her a gentleman caller. While Amanda expects a lot from Laura, Tom reminds her, "Mother, you mustn't expect too much of Laura" (1. 5. 80-81). Tom is genuinly more understanding of Laura's shyness than Amanda.
The outburst of anger that ends Scene Three marks the emotional peak of the play so far. How has the playwright prepared you for Tom's anger and Amanda's accusations?
Throughout the scenes we can tell that Tom is unhappy with his life right now, constantly being hassled by his mother who does nothing as he sacrafices his life to work in the warehouse. We can see some of this anger when he's eating food and his mom is critizing him on how he's eating and he gets mad at her about it "I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it"( Pg.753, Line 68). This is also sort of a metaphor for his life because he'snot able to enjoy it due to his moms constant directoins and her telling him how to live it. We also see that Amanda is concerned about where their family is in life, with her daughter Luara not receiving any gentleman callers and too shy to go to college. We can tell that Tom is starting to get to the breaking point of his life where he's getting fed up with eberything going on, which isn't a good combination to his mom's attitude of Luara being almost angry at Laura for not getting anywhere in life and her anger at Tom for not taking this situation Selflessly.
What does Tom mean at the end when he talks about Laura blowing out her candles?
Tom explains his feelings of responsiblity for his sister, and also the fact that no matter how far he removes himself from her or his family, he still feels a sense of duty for caring for her, no matter the distance. He does this to affirm to others that he is not the only one who knows this.
Discuss the way Williams uses the following motifs in the play as symbols. What does each one represent? How do they relate to the play's theme? The movies, The Fire Escape, The Paradise Music Hall, Laura's Leg brace
"Throughout the whole play there is the theme of "escape". The Paradise Music Hall represents the life outside their house and since Laura has removed herself from reality, it is a way of connecting to it. The Fire Escape represents an escape from their lives, this is mainly true for Tom who feels like he is trapped in their own house and the only reason he remains in the house because his departure would mean that Amanda and Laura would be shattered since he is the one who mainly supports them. Laura's leg brace is another way to represent inability to escape their fantasy life, but specifically for Laura, she's caught up in her own world because of her insecurity that comes from her leg brace. The movies is a way of Tom escaping his reality, he can't pursue his goals in life because he feels like he is trapped in his own house, he explains himself when he says, " Yes, movies ! Look at them ? [A wave toward the marvels of Grand Avenue.] All of those glamorous people - having ,adventures - hogging it all, gobbling the whole thing up ! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving!" (1. 6. 60-65). The movies are a way of him seeing the adventures that he would like in his life happen without him actually doing it.
1. Tom's opening speech sketches the social background of the play and introduces the main characters. What basic information does Tom provide in this speech about his family? About the gentleman caller? About the nature of the play itself?
"Tom tells us that his role in the play is the narrarator and he tells us the characters of the play and gives us brief information about all of them. One of these character's is his father who only appears as a picture on a wall. From this we see that his father is no longer with the family. The other characters are his mother, Amanda, his sister, Laura, and a gentleman caller who appears in the last scenes of the play. He says that the gentleman caller is ""The most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from""(1.1), and he is also being used as a ""symbol; he is the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for""(1.1). He also explains the social and historical background of the play. The play takes place in the 1930's in a bad economy. He mentions that a civil war in Spain has just led to the massacre of civilians at Guernica. He also says ""The play is memory. Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic""(1.1). He also says ""There were disturbances of labour, sometimes pretty violent, in otherwise peaceful cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis""(1.1) so we see that some American cities are struggling.
What is Laura's reaction when she learns the identity of the gentleman caller? How does Amanda respond to this reaction?
Amanda insists that there must be a gentleman caller for Laura. Laura is nervous at this idea because she is shy. When Tom tells Amanda that he has a gentleman caller for Laura she is very excited, and stresses out that the house is not clean enough and keeps asking questions about the gentleman caller, Mr. O'Connor. Amanda and Laura both dress up to meet him. Laura gets nervous when she finds out the name of the gentleman because she had a crush on him in High School.
What does Amanda ask Tom to do at the end of Scene Four?
Amanda will allow Tom to leave the apartment, only under the condition that he finds Laura a gentleman caller, who willeventually marry her and provide for her. She tells him to not think only of himself all the time and not be so selfish
6. At this point in the play, does Amanda seem to be a weak or a strong character? Does she arouse your sympathy, or do you think Williams wants you to dislike her? Explain.
Amanda, although you may first think weak because she is an older woman living without a husband and just barely getting by with her son's help for finances, is actually a strong southern woman. She grew up with the traditional southern ways and trys to enforce them on her children, with wanting her daughter to get married and wanting her son to do something productive with his life. Although she is very naggy, she is just worried about her childrens' futures and wants them to have the best oppurtunities in life; she portrays this want when she says, "What are we going to do,what is going to become of us, what is the future?"(Williams Act 1.2.1-2) She even goes through the humiliation of having to call and sell magazine subscriptions over the phone, however she never complains once. Also, she went through the loss of a husband during the play she never acts sad about it. A southern belle type woman's major goal in life is having a husband, so going through the loss of one must have hurt and embarassed her deeply. She has been strong through her many hardships in life and instead of resulting to moping around all the time, she still does everything in her power to get her children good lives and has a positive attitude. She personally does arouse my sympathy, and I believe Williams wants this effect, because of the situation of losing her husband and her children not always being the nicest to her, even though she is kind of annoying to them she just wants to help them. I think Williams wants us to respect her for everything she has done and also find her humerous with her very theatrical and outgoing manner and old stories she talks about.
One of the basic elements of drama is progression, or change. Trace the progression of the relationship between Jim and Laura in this scene.
At the start of scene seven, it seems to the audience that Laura and Jim are strangers. Laura is her awkward self, and she can tell that Jim doesn't remember her at all. Once she reminds him that they "sat across the aisle from [each other] in the auditorium Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays" (p777 lines 25, 28) they begin to have earnest conversation. First, they recount memories of high school, and while they do so Laura pulls out a copy of their school yearbook, The Torch. Inside, Jim discovers a pamphlet from their senior operetta (he was the star), and signs it for Laura. Next, Laura discovers he is no longer together with Emily Meisenbach and gets excited. She begins to think that she may have a chance with Jim after all! Then, he talks to her about her supposed inferiority complex. She is so intrigued that her shyness seems to fade away for a bit. Laura then shares her affection for the glass menageries, and Jim seems interested. Then they dance (Laura's first time), breaking her unicorn during a final spin. Laura realizes that it doesn't matter (it would've mattered before Jim came along though). He makes her feel special, and then kisses her. He then immediately draws back and begins to explain about Betty. The moment has passed, and Laura will never be the same.
What part does Laura play in the angry argument between Tom and Amanda?
During the argument Laura is caught in the middle of a conflict, upset by the conflict "clenched hands and panicky expression" (Williams 758, line 73), and belonging to neither side, she seeks peace and to de-escalate the argument. When Tom is about to insult Amanda, "Oh go--" Laura interjects, " [Desperately]--Tom!" (759, lines 35-36). Laura tries to stop Tom from escalating the conflict by interveneing and preventing him from insulting Amanda. After the argument Laura tries to get Tom and Amanda to make up, by asking Tom in person to apologize to Amanda, "Make up with her, apologize" (759, line 39). Then, when Laura falls down the fire escape she brings the two together with the shared concern they have for her.
The climax of a play is the high point of the story-its most intensely emotional moment. What scene do you think marks the climax of The Glass Menagerie?
I believe the scene which shows Jim O'Connor's departure from the play is (arguably) the climax. In this scene, we learn he is engaged, and is no longer a potential suitor for Laura. At this point one could (again, arguably) see that Laura's fragile mental state suits, perhaps even necesitates a person in a situation like Mr. O'Connor's to support her, especially in the inevitable absence of her suffocating mother and somewhat negligent, brow-beaten brother (not to mention her father who will certainly be absent from her future). Her mother is clearly upset by this turn of events, given another of her daughter's prospects has yet again not come to fruition. Her disappointment is expressed as she tells her son," (p. ***, Line **). The failed date or set-up that Amanda so hoped for is important because if Amanda wins this victory and finally manages to arrange a satisfactory future for Laura, then maybe she would ease up her nagging after Tom about his selfishness and lack of concern for Laura's (and Amanda's) future. Of course, the action of bringing home an eligible bachelor for Laura in itself already proves some of his concern for her future (as well as his mother's happiness/content).
2. In Scene One, what indications are there that there is tension in the family? Who seems to cause the tension?
In Scene One, the greatest indications of tension in the family occur when they are all eating dinner together for the first time in the play. As soon as they all sit down to start dinner, Amanda immediately starts critisizing Tom, saying "Honey, don't push with your fingers...So chew your food and give your salivary glands a chance to function" (1.1.54-65). Tom, obviously offended blows up at his mother, he said, "I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it...Sickening - spoins my appetitie - all this discussion of - animals' secretion - salivary glands - mastication!" (1.1.68-74). Though this may seem like a trivial argument, it clearly shows that there are underlying tensions in the family that would cause Tom to react in such a dramatic and angry fashion. It seems that Amanda is the one to cause the in-house tensions with her expectations and dreams for her children. She wants Tom to always behave like a gentleman and his reaction gives the impression that this is not the first time that she has critisized him in such a manner. On the other hand, though Laura does not seem to resent her mother or even show much discontent, in the play, it shows that Amanda has high hopes of her to have "gentlement callers", and for Laura to succeed at business school, learning how to type.
In Scenes Four and Five, Tom displays an attitude toward his mother that he has not shown before. Describe that attitude, and find the lines of dialogue that reveal it. Cite two lines of dialogue that show that Amanda is also trying to behave differently toward Tom.
In Scenes Four and Five, Tom's attitude towards his mother becomes more gentle and friendly. In earlier scenes, it seemed like he didn't care anymore about their relationship. It seemed like all Tom cared about was himself and all Amanda cared about was Laura's future and Tom's ability to provide for Laura and Amanda. However, after the big fight where Amanda refused to talk to Tom, Tom apologizes: "Mother, I-I apologize". After this their relationship seems to improve. In Scene Five, Tom even tries to find a gentleman caller for Laura to appease Amanda and improve their relationship.
One critic has said that The Glass Menagerie shows a series of contrasts between (a) the dreamer and the doer, (b) the past and the present, (c) fantasy and reality, (d) psychological and physical handicaps, and (e) the desire for escape and the awareness of responsibilities. Choose one of these contrasts, and trace the way it is developed in the play.
In The Glass Menagerie, a contrast of psychological and physical handicaps is present through the character of Laura. She was born with a physical handicap - one of her legs is shorter than the other. This somewhat contributes to her psychological handicap. She is so painfully shy because of it. She compares herself to the unicorn in her collection of glass, which is broken and therefore doesn't stand out. Essentially, because of her physical handicap she created a psychological one. However, later in the play Jim tries to help her. He says, "I'd teach you to have some confidence in yourself. The different people are not like other people, but being different is nothing to be ashamed of. Because other people are not such wonderful people. They're one hundred times one thousand. You're one times one!"(137). He says this to inspire confidence in her.
Amanda is a complex character: not easily described as either "good" or "bad." What aspect of her character do you see in Scenes Five and Six? Do you feel sympathetic toward her? Explain.
In scene 5 and 6 we see that despite her prickily nature, we see that she is actually a very kind woman. She is a welcoming host to Jim when he comes over for dinner. While she seems to be interfereing in her daughters life you can see that there i nothing but good intent behind her actions. Really all she wants is the best for her children in the end. Not ony is she intefering with Laura with our her knowledge, but she is also trying to guide Tom. Tom knows this, and gets annoyed with her. If you are on Toms side, you would probably think that Amanda was a bad character However from anyother angles you can see that like everything else Amanda does has good intentions behind it. I do sympthathize with her because, even though I have not been in her position, you can see that she s acting the way she is because she wants only the best for her family.
In Scene Two, Amanda is in conflict with Laura. Who is in conflict in Scene Three? What starts the conflict, and what is it about?
In scene three, there is a conflict between Tom and Amanda. The conflict starts after Ms. Ida Scott hangs up on Mrs. Wingfield, who is obviously agrivated. Anything could set her off, and this time it is Tom's utterance of the phrase "What in Christ's name" (p748, line 76). It evolves into an argument about Tom's mysterious outings to the "movies." Mrs. Wingfield "[doesn't] believe that [Tom goes] every night to the movies" (p759 line 49). The argument ceases when one of Laura's menageries breaks, and Mrs. Wingfield parts telling Tom that she "won't speak to [him] again--until [he] apologizes."
3. A play is put in motion by some element that upsets the situation at the beginning of the story. The element that sets this play in motion arrives in Scene Two. What is it? How does it upset the opening situation, and how does it set the play in motion?
In scene two, Amanda finds out that Laura has not been attending business school like she was supposed to. This upsets the situation because all Amanda wants for Laura is to settle down with a nice job and start a family, and this business school might give her the chance to. Now, there's nothing for Laura. Amanda says, "So what are we going to do the rest of our lives?" (766.11-12). Amanda fears that Laura will never marry or have a career. She says, "Girls that aren't cut out for business careers usually wind up married to some nice man" (173-75). However, Laura argues that since she's crippled, that won't happen to her. Laura has a lack of confidence that prevents her from meeting people and being successful. Amanda is determined that her daughter will marry and this leads to her insisting that Tom finds Laura a gentlemen caller, which results in Jim coming over.
In any story, complexity makes for interesting characters. Good drama rarely pits a "good guy" against a "bad guy." The best drama often occurs when both people in a conflict are right. Do you sympathize with Amanda, even though she causes her children to suffer? Do you think Tom and Laura are both wrong and right? Explain.
In some ways I sympathize with Amanda, because she is an older woman whos husband left her, her son isn't doing to amazing in the buisness world, and her daughter is struggling to be independent or find a husband unlike her when she was a young girl. At the same, she expects a lot of Laura and doesn't seem to understand why she may be self conscious or shy, completely ignoring her defect instead of adressing it in a good way, and puts a lot of pressure on Laura. She makes Tom spend all of his days doing what he hates and being miserable to support them, and then acts like she's the only reason they're all alive(Which technically she is but still). Whenever Tom does or thinks about doing something for himself, she calls him selfish and is a hypocrite in that way since she practically does nothing yet expects Tom to pretty much give up his life/happiness for her. "Amanda: You're going to listenn, and no more insolence from you! I'm at the end of my patience! Tom: What do you think I'm at? Aren't I supposed to have any pateince to reach the end of, mother? I know, I know. It seems uunimportant to you, what I'm doing- what I want to do- having a little difference between them!"(Pg. 759, Line 36) So overall, I don't sympathize for Amanda, although on some levels there are thing to feel bad for her about. I think That they are both wrong and right because although Amanda accuses him of being selfish for not sacraficing his happiness for them, in some ways that is his responibility to provide for his family until his sister finds a suitable husband, and he's being irresponsible about it. He has some right to be considering Amandas behvior on the issue but he doesn't necessarly have the right to not pay the light bill and leave his family behind when they rely on him so greatly. As for Laura, she has a right to e self conscious because of her defect, as does anyone with some kind of phyical or mental disability, but at the same time diabilities/defects are something that you need to learn to live with and accept that that's how you are, because if you have that confidence then people don't really care about that, and that's where Laura is wrong. She's too self conscious and down on herself because she can't move past/accept her disablity and that's really the only thing holding her back in life.
The gentleman caller scene is a perfect little play within a play. Tell how the basic dramatic elements are used in this scene: characters you care about placed in a situation where much is at stake, taking steps to get what they want.
Jim, the gentleman caller for Laura brought by her brother, is unaware that he is being brought to see Laura especially. As the play progressed, the readers had grown to care for Laura, with her leg dysfunction and her shy personality. In the gentleman caller scene, Laura is placed in great distress by her mother, her brother, and the gentleman caller. Her mother forces Laura to anwer the door for Jim and Tom, despite Laura's misgivings and shyness. As a result, Laura is placed in a situation where much is at stake: her future, and her future romantic life, especially regarding Jim. Amanda ensured that Tom would bring a gentleman caller from the warehouse to see Laura, and so Tom grudgingly agrees and tells his mother "Yep. I've asked him (Jim) to dinner" (1.5.69). Thus, Amanda and Tom both took the steps neccessary to have Jim come to their house as a caller and therefore put Laura in an uncomfortable situation where her romantic life was at stake. Tom's future was at stake as well, because Amanda said that Tom could only go away from her and Laura if Laura was happily settled down with a steady husband.
7. How is it shown that the boy in the yearbook was important to Laura? Why doesn't Amanda seem particularly interested in this young man?
Laura's feelings for the boy in the yearbook are revealed by the way she talks about him. When asked if she has ever liked a boy she replies by saying "Yes I liked one once" (Williams 757). Since the boy in the yearbook is the only boy that Laura has ever liked we can tell that a level of importance is present. The tone in her voice is one of reminiscing like she is thinking on the time she liked him fondly. When she tells the story about her nickname Blue Roses she sadly adds a little part at the end of the story about how she did not like his girlfriend and that she thinks they are probably married by now, wishing that he would not be married. He must be important to Laura if she feels like this. Amanda clearly does not feel the same way as Laura does about him because he is from when Laura was in High School and not recent enough to be a likely suitor for Laura, which is Amanda's goal.
4. In Scene Two, what does Laura say and do to reveal that she is "set apart" from the real world?
Scene two has a lot of character development for Laura. It develops her character as shy and timid as well as socially awkward by using her actions and words when confronted with awkward situations. The first of these situations is when her mother asks why she hasn't been going to business school and she still trys to avoid the subject because the fact that she broke down and threw up in front of everybody was just too dificult for her to face and so she does all that she can to avoid having to talk to her mother about it. Even when Laura is telling her mother about what she did instead of going to class, she says; "I went in the art museum and the birdhouses at the Zoo. I visited the penguins every day! sometimes I did without lunch and went to the movies. Lately I've been spending most of my afternoons in the Jewel-box, that big glass house where they raise the tropical flowers." (1.2 87-93) Most people would go somewhere where they could quickly forget their problems, but Laura chooses to go to the places where she can best contemplate them. When Laura's mother asks Laura if she has ever liked a boy, Laura quickly starts to talk about Jim and about how he used to call her Blue Roses because "When I had that attack of pleurosis-he asked me what was the matter when I came back. I said pleurosis-he thought that I had said Blue Roses! So that's what he'd always call me after that." (1.2 61-65) The way that Laura talks about Jim and how she remebers every detail of conversations that they had six years ago can tell the reader how she is so set apart from society and the real world that she clings on to memories and lives in better times rather than facing the present and making a life for herself.
What does Williams achieve in the way of "theater poetry" by having Tom neglect to pay the light bill?
The "theater poetry" that Williams achieves by having Tom not pay the electric bill is a change in mood. Before the lights went off the scene was a normal dinner with all four of the characters present. When the lights went out they were forced to switch to candle light, which brought in a whole new mood especially since Tom and Amanda left, leaving Jim and Laura on their own. Williams is able to use "theater poetry" to change to a more romantic mood by having Tom fail to pay for the lights.
What happens to make you think at first that Jim O'Connor's visit may work out as Amanda hopes? Explain how the evening ends in disappointment for Laura and Amanda.
The first sign that Jim O'Connor's visit may work out as Amanda hoped was when Laura open up. This was first by asking for the piece of gum she initially did not want. Then, she compliments him as she "remember[s] what a beautiful voice [he] had" (Williams, Act I Scene VII). The two then embark on a long conversation that leads to a dance followed by a kiss. At this point, the gentleman caller is sure to be the right one, but Jim says he "shouldn't have done that" (Williams, Act I Scene VII) because he "go[es] out all of the time with a girl named Betty" (Williams, Act I Scene VII). This ends the night in a disappointment, and Jim quickly leaves to allay the situation.
Discuss the symbolism of the glass menagerie in relation to Laura. How, for example, does Laura resemble the glass animals? What does the unicorn represent initially, and what does it represent once its horn has been broken?
The glass animals represent Laura because she is fragile like a piece of glass and she sits in her own world, still, like a glass animal sitting on the counter. The breaking of the unicorn's horn represents the breaking of her shyness, freeing all of the feelings she had bottled up and making her a normal person, or a "horse".
In most plays, suspense is preferable to surprise. If a person reaches the top of a hill and looks down to see two trains at the moment they crash, it is a surprise and it is shocking. But dramatically, it would be more effective if, as the person neared the top of the hill, he saw the trains approaching each other on the same track from perhaps a mile apart. This would be suspense. How has Tennessee Williams used suspense in the play up to now?
The most noticable way that Tennessee Williams has used suspense in the play up to this point is with Laura and the gentleman callers. It started with using Amanda to bring the topic to light and point out that it is important to everybody that Laura finds somebody. After the audience and Amanda finds out that Laura quit business school, it becomes even more important that Laura finds a man to support her and in fact it sort of becomes one of the focal points of the play. When Tom talks to Jim O'Connor and convinces him to come over for dinner, the audience knows that he is the man that Laura was in love with in high school and even Tom is aware that Jim knew Laura (though he does not know that she was in love with him). The suspense is at its highest at this point because the audience is waiting for Laura or even Amanda to find out that the gentleman caller is, in fact, the very person who Laura was in love with. In short, Tennessee Williams used suspense to keep the reader paying attention to all aspects of the story by taking the characters, who all clearly have very different ambitions and interests, and tying them together with the common factor of Jim O'Connol.
Amanda often refers to her absent husband, and his grinning picture is highlighted at various times during the play. What does the photograph represent to Amanda? To Tom? How is the photograph a constant threat to Amanda and Laura's survival?
The photo represents the mistake that Amanda believes she made when she "had to go out of my [her] way to pick out" their father, who was after adventure and embodies selfishness, which she fears in her son who is eerily becoming like his father. Amanda has a sort of remorseful view of the absent Mr. Wingfield, which is attested when she says, "And I could have been Mrs. Duncan J. Fitzhugh, mind you! But- I picked your father!" (p.754, Line 78-79). To make up for her own choices, Amanda actively tries to compensate by 'encouraging' (in her view) her children to do better. This leads to pressure and stress within the family to the point of quite evident (verbal) conflict. To Tom, his father's picture is the symbol of adventure that he has not yet found or sought. Tom also sees the possibility to follow his father and abandon the family, much like he did 16 years before. The picture of the absent father is a constant reminder of the financial instability that Amanda and Laura constantly face as unmarried women without a steady income or husband.
In Scene Five, Tom gives his mother two realistic warnings to counter Amanda's pleasant fantasy of the gentleman caller. What are these warnings? How does Amanda react to them?
Tom says that she never mentioned Laura to the gentleman caller. Amanda does not have a strong reaction to this.Tom tells Amanda not to expect too much of Laura, he says that both himself and Amanda see the beauty in Laura because they know her and love her.He mentions that Laura is crippled, and Amanda insists that "crippled" is not allowed in the Wingfield home. Tom mentions Laura's peculiar habits - her care of the glass menagerie and her love of their old phonograph records. Amanda seems somewhat shaken by Tom's words, but she regains her optimism and calls Laura to come out to talk. Amanda asks Laura to make a wish on the "little silver sliver of a moon", she tells her daughter to wish for happiness and good fortune.
5. What is the significance of the "blue roses" that appear on the screen at the start of Scene Two?
When Laura met Jim, the boy she liked in high school. She told him that she had pleurosis. However, because she is so shy she spoke quietly so Jim though she said "blue roses". From then on Jims nickname for Laura was "blue roses". The quote where she explains this to here mother was, "he thought that I had said Blue Roses! So that's what he'd always call me after that." (1.2 61-65). The roses from that point on became a symbol for Laura. It suggest that she is unique, just like Blue roses would be if they were real. The roses could also be though of as a symbol for the relationship between Jim and Laura. It turns out that Laura greatly enjoys being connected to someone like they were.
