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The Glass Menagerie A World Of Unreality The Glass Menagerie, on the surface, is an ordinary play with a somewhat depressing storyline, yet underneath sets a suggestive underlying theme of unreality. This theme suggests that each character in the play is unable to live in the present, and each have adapted a way to retreat into their separate worlds in order to escape the brutalities of life. Laura, the lead character, has created a world that consists of phonographic records and glass animals. Her favorite animal in this glass menagerie is the unicorn, a fantasy-bred illusion that is always set apart from the rest. It is apparent in light of this use of symbolism, that Laura not only favors, but sees herself in this unique glass piece.
She too, has been set apart because she is different, as is the unicorn with it s single horn. Laura s character itself seems as fragile as the glass that is her menagerie. Only once, in Laura s brief interactions with Jim, does it appear that she may be capable of overcoming her shyness and sense of fragility. Yet she instantly reverts back to playing the Victrola once he tells her he s engaged.
Laura is unable to cope with the pitfalls of an unfair reality, and therefore retreats back to her fantasy word of records and glass figurines. Laura s mother, Amanda, is obsessed with her past as she constantly reminds her children of that one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain when she received seventeen gentlemen callers. It is not clear whether this to be believed by her children or by any audience at all, however, it appears that despite its possible falsity, Amanda herself has come to believe it. She refuses to acknowledge that her daughter is crippled, and refers to her handicap as a little defect hardly noticeable. Only for brief moments does she ever admit that her daughter is cripple, then soon after resorts to her denial. Another attribute to Amanda s obsession with the past is shown in her paranoia with the apartment so to make it suitable for Laura s caller.
Then last in her regression to her childish, giddy days of entertaining gentleman callers once Jim does appear. Amanda's beliefs, dreams, and mannerisms together show that she is unable to perceive anything realistically, and therefore chooses to live in the past Tom, Laura s brother, finds his escape in his world of poetry, writing, and movies. He seems unable to handle his menial job and his unsatisfying home life. He believes that the atmosphere is stifling and damaging to his creative capacities. Finally, when he does leave, he is entrapped by the memories of Laura. As a result, he wanders aimlessly through time, thinking of his sister.
It seems even the gentleman caller, Jim, though not as severely as the Wingfields, also reverts to his past as he looks through high school yearbooks with Laura and remembers the days when he was a hero. Jim does bring with him a firm impression of reality, shown in his clumsiness inside the Wingfields world of delicacy, yet still it appears that only by entering into this unique apartment of illusions, can Jim become this high school hero again. He too is not satisfied with the present working at the same warehouse as Tom, and so is easily encased in reminiscing about his lead in the operetta. As he gets caught up with his high school days and remembering his fame, he crosses the line in kissing Laura, and is then obliged to tell her that he is engaged. This striking reality devastates Laura and seems to release Jim from his illusion, who in turn leaves the Wingfields apartment. It seems only reasonable to blame Amanda for her children s fate.
Since she constantly lives in a fantasy world of dreamy recollections, her children cannot escape from this illusory word either. Laura s situation is exceptionally hopeless, for she most likely will not ever come to rebel against the unreality that she has been surrounded and molded by for her entire life. Tom was able to seize his chance no matter what the costs, one of which was leaving his sister behind. Thus, Laura seems doomed to live in candlelight for the rest of her days, instead of outside, where the world is lit by lightning.
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Research essay sample on Records And Glass Glass Menagerie Laura
