Abstract This paper proposes an effective new approach to teaching students in Grades 4 to 6 multiplication, using Cindy Neuschwander's, book "Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream", which features the concept of multiplication as a shorter way to find an answer than counting. The paper explains that the book's approach involves teaching the children why one needs to learn the multiplication tables, since children are often preoccupied with the reasons they are asked to do things. The paper also explains that the book places emphasis on applying math to everyday real-life situations that children can relate to. To conclude, the paper maintains that "Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream" will help to motivate children towards learning multiplication by making it into something fun.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Three-Part Lesson Plan
Exploration
Overview
Conclusion
From the Paper "Children in Grades 4 to 6 are more given to questioning and this can become a device in postponing work sessions, in asking why something is undertaken. Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream has appealing illustrations reinforcing the idea of a world of many particularities. Using the example above, if a city neighbourhood has 200 televisions in about 200 dwellings but the class estimates that there are perhaps 50 to 75 dogs, what does this tell us about how people live?
"Flash cards indicating equations of 5 x 6, for instance, or 7 x 2, should be incorporated into the day at more than one point. Most children can attend to a focused lesson but will welcome the card's reappearance, later on, as a very old method of 'saturation' that also helps to break up the day. The teacher makes the reminder that times tables are learned a little at a time beyond formal efforts to memorize tables in printed form, till students do not need to think each time but realize they can recall more equations. The teacher should state that no one learns them perfectly, this human touch of stating which table she may have to pause and think through each time helping the task of memorization seem less daunting."
Abstract The paper studies the relationship between Laura and Amanda. It explores Laura's becoming a victim of materialization. Her need for love is compared with Amanda's and their approaches to fulfillment of this need are contrasted. The symbolism behind the two characters is discussed and compared and the way that Laura influences her mother's personality is studied. It looks at how the mother and daughter react differently to their society and at how Amanda's desire to seek a permanent solution to her problems through her children is what characterizes her relationship with them. The paper discusses how Laura finds escape and what tarnishes the mother- daughter relationship. The paper concludes by looking at the significance of Tom's departure and at his part in the relationship between these two women.
From the Paper "The world of 1930s America was certainly quite different from the one we have today. For this reason, it is important to study the relationship of Laura and Amanda with this disturbing industrialized society in mind. In those days, single parenthood was not as common as it is today and thus we can imagine the problems women went through when they were abandoned by their husbands. If Amanda appears to be highly neurotic and rather too possessive of her children, then blame must be put not on her but on the times in which she lived."
Abstract This paper discusses the character of Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie". It shows Amanda as an embattled mother who, along with her two children, lives in a world of illusions.
From the Paper "Amanda Wingfield described by Preston Fambrough as an embattled mother is a woman desperately anxious to ensure that her daughter Laura will ensnare a suitable husband and that her son Tom will provide the support that Amanda needs for herself and for her family. The entire Wingfield family lives in a world of illusions or hopes. The thesis to be addressed herein is that in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie there are many different personalities living in ..."
Abstract This paper presents a look at Tennessee William's famed drama "The Glass Menagerie". The writer of this paper expresses the belief that the character Jim is a young version of Amanda and Tom is a young version of his father.
From the Paper " Literary characters often represent real life and the Glass Menagerie is no exception. The characters of the story are younger versions of others and this is true in real life as well. Often times we grow up promising ourselves that we will not turn out like our parents. Then when we reach adulthood we are shocked to see how like our parents we are. It is a wonder that more literary works do not develop this angle of life. "The Glass Menagerie" is a work that presents the characters in a fashion that is close to real life. Jim and Tom are both trying to carve out their own identities and they are working to prevent being compared to the elders but they are not going to be able to stop it from happening no matter how hard they try."
Tags: tom, jim, amanda, play, drama, american, father, relationships
Abstract This paper shows how each character in this novel uses the mechanism of escape in order to deal with the hardships in their personal life. The lives of Tom, Laura and Amanda each take a different path when they realize that they have the option of escaping from their present condition. Each form of escape of the different characters is discussed - physical escape (running away), occupational escape (playing with glass dolls) and mental escape (ignoring the problems of one's relationship).
From the Paper "In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the theme of escape helps drive the play forward. Amanda Wingfield, the mother, escapes the reality of her hard and narrow life by remembering better times, possibly without great accuracy. Laura, Amanda's daughter, escapes by playing with her collection of glass animals (the "menagerie"). Tom, Amanda's son, is the only one in the family who has a chance of truly escaping the life they have lead, but if he chooses this path, he will be leaving Amanda and Laura behind just as his father did many years before. Tom and Laura's father is an important character in the play, even though he never appears. Tom describes him as ?? a telephone man who fell in love with long distances.? (?The Glass Menagerie,? scene 1) The father's picture in his World War I uniform is placed prominently in the family's living room. In that uniform the sense of his being away is apparent. The father's absence sets the theme of escape for the play."
Tags: mental, occupational, physical, tom, laura, amanda, hardship, escape
Abstract This is a summary/reaction to an article featured in "U.S. News and World Report" and written by Amanda Spakes. The summary portion of this paper identifies the thesis of Spakes' article and highlights the main ideas. This paper then summarizes these main points, and uses direct quotes to give further emphasis. The reaction portion of this paper touches on the relevence of the information presented, the currency of the information, the credibility of the author, the objectivity of the publisher and author, and the quality of evidence presented.
From the Paper "In the recent article "Don"t Breathe the Air? featured in U.S. News and World Report, author Amanda Spake draws the attention of her readers to the international issue of air pollution. Spake presents evidence which seems to make apparent the harmful effects which air pollution has on health, focusing especially on the pollutant known as ozone. She focuses on several aspects of air pollutants in particular; focusing mostly on the causes of air pollution, the health risks of air pollution, and possible ways in which air pollution levels can be alleviated."
Abstract This paper examines the mother-son relationship in two plays: Hamlet and his mother, Gertrude, in "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, and Amanda and Tom in "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams. It demonstrates how the two plays and the characters of the mothers are quite different and how, in "The Glass Menagerie", Tom is able to brush off his mother's domination after too much struggle. On the other hand, Gertrude is unable to dominate Hamlet, even though she tries. It also shows how Tom's relationship with his mother is that of an irritated son who cannot stand his mother's meddling, whereas Hamlet's relationship is based on revenge and hatred.
From the Paper "Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most popular tragedies written in around the 1600. The play is a melodrama of revenge, secrecy, madness and conspiracy. It revolves Hamlet, a prince of Denmark who's life is filled with tragedy. Initially he loses his father and while on the verge of recovering from this loss, he sees his mother Gertrude, marrying his Uncle Claudius within two months of his father's death. The shock of his mother's behavior is unbearable for Hamlet as he goes into severe depression and termed by some as complete madness. He fails to continue his studies and because of his mental state, his mother does not allow him to leave Denmark till he is completely stable."
Tags: revenge, hatred, gertrude, tom, amanda, claudius
Abstract This paper discusses two literary works and focuses on the hopes and wishes of the mother in each story for her family. The paper compares and contrasts Amanda Wingfield from Tennessee Williams's "The Glass Menagerie" and Linda Loman from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", in terms of how they wish their families to be treated. The paper contends that both women are passive-aggressive toward their children, refusing to see or accept them as they are. The paper explains that as a result, both women damage and eventually destroy, their much-cherished relationships with those they love most.
From the Paper " Linda Loman, Willy's long-suffering wife in Death of a Salesman, although less out of touch than Amanda, is unable to confront Willy, the most important person in her life, about the depth of his misery, or his plan to commit suicide. When Linda finds evidence in the garage of Willy's plan, instead of insisting that Willy level with her, and then should seek outside help, Linda merely confides Willy's suicide plan to Biff, who is as emotionally helpless as his father. At the beginning, Linda tells Willy, when he feels confused and exhausted, "But you didn't rest your mind. Your mind is overactive and the mind is what counts" (Miller, Death of a Salesman, p. 1674). Here, Linda is on the right track, but only briefly. Soon afterward, she fails to note Willy's obviously exhausted and confused mental state when he says "Biff is a lazy bum" and then, a few lines later: "There's one thing about Biff-he's not lazy" (p. 1674)."
Abstract This paper studies the fifth scene of the play "The Glass Menagerie," by Tennessee Williams. In this scene, Amanda has persuaded her husband Tom to find a gentleman caller for their daughter Laura. Tom has asked a fellow worker to come home with him after work one evening. This paper's author first describes the scene and then analyzes the dialogue in an attempt to better understand the characters' motivation and vision. The paper goes on to address the overarching themes of this scene -- and the larger play. The author says that "The Glass Menagerie" is about fragility, which each of the three main characters falls victim to in one way or another.
From the Paper "Amanda is not a bad mother. She really does want the best for her daughter (her son has left, more or less, her aura of control). But, she has the firm belief that her daughter is far more fragile than Laura really is. Looking at Amanda today, we might easily call her "a control freak". She wants everything planned. The worst thing that could happen to her- in her wishes and in her reality- is for her plans not to work out. She even chastises Tom when she tells him "You are the only young man that I know who ignores the fact that the future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into everlasting regret if you don't plan for it." She has planned for a future that, one would think deep down in her heart, she knows will never come to pass. She does live, from time to time, in the past. It is what keeps her going, seeing the present be such an unpleasant reality. But, she even plans for a possible mismatch."
Tags: theatre, figurines, Amanda, Laura, Tom, Mr., O'Connor
Abstract This paper discusses how Tennessee Williams' award-winning play, "The Glass Menagerie", is a classic study in how everyone is crippled in someway. It looks at how Amanda is crippled to the point of near paralysis by the disappearance of her husband, how Laura is crippled by fear of people and isolation and how Jim O'Connor, the gentlemen caller, is crippled by his own failures.
From the Paper "There is no real named disease that cripples Laura. What is mentioned fear of people and isolation, but never polio or another disease of that time period. Her crippling seems to be psychological, much like William's real life sister. Amanda treats her like a plaything, a doll, trying to dress her up and make her pretty and sociable for her gentlemen callers and school, neither of which she is mentally capable of having. She stays in this world of illusion with her glass pieces and her records because it is easier than dealing with the feelings of disappointment her mother obviously displays upon her. "
Abstract The paper discusses how Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" is a tragic figure because she is so dependent upon her family and so desperately afraid of the outside world. The paper looks at the brother Tom who only wants to leave and the mother, Amanda, who is controlling and lives in the past. The paper portrays how Laura is the most tragic character, resigned to a lonely fate.
From the Paper "Laura is a tragic figure in this play because even her family admits she is flawed, but they do not help her deal with her fears and distress. Her brother Tom says, "Mother, you mustn't expect too much of Laura" (Williams), which dooms her to failure and allows her to remain tragically alone throughout her life. Her family also never really faces her disability, which is the main reason she is fearful of the outside world. Her mother, Amanda, says, "Nonsense! Laura, I've told you never, never to use that word. Why, you're not crippled you just have a little defect - hardly noticeable, even!" (Williams)."
Tags: Tom, Amanda, fears, distress, loneliness, control, disability
Abstract The paper discusses the theme of escape in the "The Glass Menagerie". The paper explains how this play seems to revolve around Tom's escape from his family, but in reality, each of the characters is attempting to escape something. The paper looks at how Laura escapes from reality by spending her entire life inside the apartment with her beloved glass animals and Amanda retreats to the past to escape her present life.
From the Paper "Escape is a central issue in this play, from Tom's escape at the end of the play, to his distancing from the family as he becomes increasingly frustrated with his life and his job. One method Tom uses to escape the tension of the family is to go to the movies. His mother even criticizes his attempt at escape. She says, "'I don't believe that you go every night to the movies. Nobody goes to the movies night after night'" (Williams 998). Tom does go to the movies because it is the only place he can find peace, quiet, and a measure of normalcy. His dysfunctional family is far from normal, and that is the main reason Tom is so desperate to escape. However, he is not happy with his job, either, and is afraid of being trapped in it forever. Therefore, he must escape his job as well as his family if he is ever to create a new life for himself."
Tags: Tom, Amanda, Laura, dysfunctional, family, guilt, loneliness, freedom
Abstract Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie" exposes the conflicts between the old Southern values and the brute force of the new, Northern values. Some of those conflicts in society - with reference to women's place in America in the 1940s - are reviewed in this paper, in order to present a psychosocial background into the characters Amanda Wingfield and her troubled daughter, Laura Wingfield. It also looks at how Williams painted literary portraits of his female characters with the brushstrokes from his own family experiences (his sister was schizophrenic) and from the society that he observed all around him and about which he held strong opinions.
From the Paper "In the interest of offering further perspective on why Williams portrayed female characters in The Glass Menagerie the way he did, it is worth noting that when Williams was just five years of age, he suffered from a paralytic disease, causing him to be paralyzed. At seven, he was diagnosed with diphtheria. His mother, Edwina Dakin Williams, approached his difficulties during this period in his life by encouraging him to dream up stories and read. But Edwina is also reported to have been a pushy, sometimes smothering woman by a biographer writing for ThinkQuest (http://library.thinkquest.org). Indeed, his mother did not approve of him "...playing with other boys" and his father made him quit the University of Missouri to work in the shoe business. "
Abstract The paper analyzes the relationship between Amanda and Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" and highlights how gender is an important factor because the issue is all about being a woman. The paper then shows how gender is a major aspect in how Tom and Laura are both prisoners of the mirror. The paper examines the dynamic of Laura living in a delicate balance between her mother's desires and her own while she is also trapped in the mirror of Jim's judgment and notes how gender is not an important feature in these dynamics. Finally, the paper illustrates the gender issue of Tom who lives under the pressures of society to be a man and provide for his family.
From the Paper "In the case of Amanda and Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams, gender is an important factor because as Levy maintains, Amanda "exploits her maternal concern about Laura's lack of marital prospects as a means of identifying with her own past" (Levy). Amanda is more capable of this because she is a woman and has a past. She has something from which she can draw and, hence, force upon Laura. She projects herself onto Laura and wishes to live vicariously through her. Levy is correct in stating that Amanda uses others to reflect her own self-image. All she has is her past and her daughter and she wishes to not only live through Laura but also cast her past life onto Laura. With this in consideration, gender is significant because the issue is all about being a woman."
This paper analyzes the following three articles on the nature of imprisonment and incarceration in the American prison system: "Double Standard on Drug Sentences" by Cynthia Tucker; "Time", by Nathan McCall; and "Mother's Day in Federal Prison" by Amanda
Abstract This paper analyzes three essays concerned with the nature of imprisonment and with those that suffer incarceration in the American prison system; : "Double Standard on Drug Sentences" by Cynthia Tucker; "Time", by Nathan McCall; and "Mother's Day in Federal Prison" by Amanda Coyne. Two of the essays discussed are concerned with drugs and imprisonment and two of the essays also are concerned with the ways in which men and women (and their families) deal with incarceration. This multiple analysis looks at the prison system, and whether it fairly treats those who are imprisoned.
From the Paper "Most of the works here see the drug-user as a victim of the wars against drugs: they are unfairly taken from children, or families (Even, in Tucker, from becoming 'Tax-paying citizens" (Tucker, 1998, page 3)). This is not met with agreement by the McColl piece; his drug-dealer is a partially dangerous, partially benevolent wide-boy. He is, however, the only one to treat the system as a business opportunity, and the only one of all the characters in the articles to undermine the system to the extent of escaping."
