The Theme of Escape in The Glass Menagerie Essay - 1973 Words

The Theme of Escape in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, Amanda, Laura, and Tom have chosen to avoid reality. Amanda continually attempts to live in the past. Lauras escape from the real world is her glass collection and old phonograph records. Tom hides from the real world by going to the movies and getting drunk. Each character retreats to their separate world to escape the cruelties of life. Living in the past is Amanda’s way of escaping her pitiful present reality (Knorr). She never forgets to tell Laura and Tom about her receiving seventeen gentlemen callers in Blue Mountain when she was young: One Sunday afternoon-your mother received-seventeen!-gentlemen callers! Why, sometimes there†¦show more content†¦Nobody goes to the movies night after night. Nobody in their right minds goes to the movies as often as you pretend to (Williams 41). This shows Amandas fear that someday Tom might leave her and Laura. Amanda tells Tom how to do the simplest things such as how to eat his food, which irritates him: I havent enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it. Its you that make me rush through meals with your hawk-like attention to every bite I take (Williams 24). All of these things make Toms home life unpleasant. Though Amanda may seem cruel at times, she really wants whats best for her children. She constantly nags Laura on looking nice for when the gentlemen callers arrive: Stay fresh and pretty!-Its almost time for our gentlemen callers to start arriving (William 28). When Amanda says our gentlemen callers, including herself in the wait, she has returned to her days in Blue Mountain. Laura tells her mother that she doesnt think that any callers will come and Amanda cannot believe that there will be no gentlemen callers for her daughter. To Amanda, it is a disgrace to not have gentlemen callers (Knorr). Laura tells Tom about the situation: Mothers afraid Im going to be an old maid (Williams 28). Amanda begins her plan to help Laura by asking Tom to ask a nice young man from theShow MoreRelated The Theme of Escape in The Glass Menagerie Essay874 Words   |  4 Pages The Theme of Escape in The Glass Menagerie In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses the theme of escape to help drive the play forward. None of the characters are capable of living in the real world. Laura, Amanda, Tom and Jim use various methods to escape the brutalities of life. Laura retreats into a world of glass animals and old records. Amanda is obsessed with living in her past. Tom escapes into his world of poetry writing and movies. 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