Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie"

Paper Summary:

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."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bloom, Harold, ed. Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.
• Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Ed. Haskell M. Block, and Robert G. Shedd. Masters of Modern Drama. New York: McGraw Hill Publishing, 1962. 989-1017.

More papers on Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie":

• Analytical Essay # 83893 : "Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie"
• Book Review # 91858 : "Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie"
• Analytical Essay # 30070 : "Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: