Example Of Essay On The Glass Menagerie

The glass menagerie is a four character based memory play by Tennessee Williams. It was publohsed in 1944 and shot him to fame (Morley 45). The play has strong elements of autobiographical elements that portrayed character depending on their personalities starting with the author himself, his mentally fragile sister Laura, as well as his histrionic mother.
Illusions form the core word in the thematic and symphonic organization of the play. The major theme in the production is the ironic illusion gap between reality and appearance created by the difference between reality and appearance. For example in the play, the characters pretend to be happy and well which is a sharp contrast to their realities in their lives. This leads to the illusion in the play. However, this illusion represents a façade through which the actors hide their sad and angry realities of their existence.

The illusions of Amanda

In the play the glass menagerie, Amanda wing filed is portrayed as living in a world that fluctuates between illusion and reality. This way, the actor finds it more convenient for her to close her eyes for the brutal, realistic world. For example, she is said to use various escape mechanisms as a way of enduring her present position in the real life (Morley 67). This provides her with a means through which life becomes bearable. For example, she recalls a day in her youth and living in Blue Mountain when she had over ten gentlemen callers in one Sunday afternoon.
She refuses to accept the reality that Laura is crippled and instead views her as having a slight physical defect. In addition, through her illusion, she fails or refuses to accept the fact that Tom is quite different from her and that just like her father a time will come when he will have to search for adventures. However, she is unable to live in this world of illusion forever.

The illusions of Tom

This character Tom in the glass menageries is portrayed in a dual role. First an illuminated Tom acts as the narrator who introduces his second self in his real character through a personal soliloquy. Through his narration Tom gives an insight into his illusions world as a person detached from the drama. This is in the form that time is the longest distance between two places.
In addition to the closing soliloquy, Tom further shows his illusion by recounting how he lives as well as relives the story over his memory through he is detached from the participants in the original affair.

The illusions of Laura

Through the high school nickname, the illusion of Laura can be seen in her characterization as a delicate and beautiful rose that in real life is impossible as well as a nonexistent form. Thus in reality Laura the blue rose is a misfit, a character that cannot exist in the real world no matter how good and lively the idea may be in her mind. The illusion of her is also created by the fact that, this figure is also too beautiful and impossible which also makes it easy to break.
In addition, Laura is also extremely passive and cannot fit into normal life or even dare take the initiative. However, no matter how delicate and beautiful she images herself to be, the real world rejects her by ultimately leaving her alone and unappreciated.

The illusions Jim

In the characterization of the Jim in the play, he is portrayed as being nice and ordinary young man. This way, he comes out as an emissary from the world of normality. However, this characterization of an ordinary and simple parson seems out of place with the other characters. This plays a core role in the development of the climax of the play (Greenberg 98). However, the ordinary reality of Jim’s personality is brought to live in his conversation with Laura, which is just the contact that the ordinary Laura needs. In other cases, his ordinary plainness is seen over his every other action despite his attempt to portray himself otherwise. For example, he is interested in sport, and he cannot understand Tom’s illusionary ambition for escaping from the warehouse. In addition, it is further shown through his conversations and eventually as the long-awaited gentleman caller, he is not the prize except in the illusion mind of Laura.

The truth

In the play, many characters live in a world of fantasy; a world on their own. Through this approach of their life, they turn their backs on the actual realities of life (Greenberg 21). For example, Amanda takes herself to her beautiful past when numerous gentlemen could court her. She fabricates stories from this past and imposes them on children. In the end there is a conflict between her appearance and reality, for example, she speaks in a jovial and frivolous manner as if there were no problems in her life.
Laura on her part depicts a world of artificial animals yet in real life, she is a cripple who has failed in her academic life but her. However, her fascination with glass animals contrasts the reality of her life (Morley 67). On the other hand, Tom creates his own fashion of the conflict between appearance and reality through which though he has not been useful to his widowed mother, he loses himself in the illusion world created by cinema. While on his part Jim as an emissary from the world of reality has his own illusion in regard to the future prospects of his career. Thus, the truth is realized through dramatizing the gap between appearances and reality the author gives the paly an underlying ironic touch.

Works Cited

Greenberg-Slovin, Naomi. Notes from the Dramaturg. Program to the Glass Menagerie,
Everyman Theatre, Baltimore, Free press, 2013.
Morley, Sheridan. The Glass Menagerie, New Directions. New York: McGraw, 2011.