"The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, although "The Glass Menagerie" centers its attention on Tom, another character, Laura Wingfield, Tom's sister, emerges as a powerful individual in the story. The author points out that establishing Laura's character takes more than physically describing her deficiencies, such as her being crippled. Laura is also characterized as a woman who has lost all hope of attaining a wonderful life in being a wife and mother. The paper relates that author Williams achieves self-actualization through Laura's character in the same way that Tom and Laura finally free themselves from their emotional burdens in the play, "The Glass Menagerie".

From the Paper:

"Laura's low regard for herself is not only developed within her but also by the people who are with her, especially Amanda, her mother, and Tom. This observation is expressed among critics who have illustrated Laura's character as "symbolic", i.e., laden with hidden meanings meaningful only to Williams. Indeed, she is identified as the character who is "burdened by self-consciousness", experiences a "sense of worthlessness", and "yearning for " ideal or mystical beauty and spiritual or romantic love" absolute emotional and artistic fulfillment". The third symbolic description of Laura, which pertains to her inherent likeness for "mystical beauty" is symbolically represented by her fascination of her glass collection, considering them as objects that compensate for her imperfection."

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