The Glass
Menagerie was one of the most complex plays I have ever analyzed. The 3 main
characters, Laura, Tom, and their mother Amanda were interesting characters
that had many similarities, as well as differences. For instance, they all had
a similar mindset of escaping the lives that they lived, physically and
emotionally. They differentiated in various aspects, for example, Amanda Wingfield
(the mother) was extremely enthusiastic with anything that she did, and she was
perhaps a bit of a drama queen. On the other hand, there was her daughter Laura
who could not differ from her mother more. Laura was as shy as a snail, and was
most uncomfortable with herself, especially because of her physical impairment
which caused her to walk with a limp. Tom, the bread winner for his mother and
sister was a bit more rebellious than the two women in his immediate family. He
heavily smoked cigarettes and drank often, not to mention he was quite
sarcastic and irritable throughout the entire play. In my opinion, he never
took his mother seriously, and mocked her quite often. This hectic household
filled with loud outburst from Amanda, anxious remarks from Laura, and Tom’s
bitter attitude resulted in a very theatrical performance at the Wingfield residence.
This play kept my attention, and I will most likely read it again in the
future.
