"The Glass Menagerie"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the play "The Glass Menagerie" and focuses on the evolution and maturation of Laura. In an attempt to pinpoint when this blooming of character actually happens, the paper analyzes and compares Scene 2 with Scene 7, especially the episode between Laura and Jim in order to provide a 'before-and-after' photograph of Laura's character.

From the Paper:

"Applied to The Glass Menagerie (1944) by Tennessee Williams, the concept of the maturation of characters - the process that makes an individual more responsible before life - has to be understood as the progression that will enable them to stop living in the past, and enjoy the present moment. For instance, from the beginning of the play, Tom is boiling from within and, towards the end, is "about to move." He eventually breaks free from the "two-by-four situation" he could not stand anymore. This therefore can be considered as a breakthrough. Yet, at the very end, Tom is smitten with remorse and guilt, for having abandoned his sister, Laura. The conclusion would be that Tom's maturation is somehow elusive, fragmented, not completed. I have chosen to focus on Laura, rather, who seems to undergo a demonstrable development through a 'moment' with Jim, in the very last scene. As I shall demonstrate, however, her maturation, her blossoming even, is nipped in the bud, which kicks her back into her secure environment. As often the case with Tennessee Williams, the encounter between Jim and Laura can be understood as the meeting between Reality and Poetry. After all, Jim is described as "the most realistic character in the play""

More papers on "The Glass Menagerie":

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• Essay # 73644 : "Reality Vs. Illusion in "The Glass Menagerie"
• Essay # 33644 : "Tennessee Williams and "The Glass Menagerie"

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