Discuss the atmosphere of the play. Reflect on the relationships (mother/son, mother/daughter, brother/sister) in the household. How does each character act/react differently to situations? Last, discuss which character you enjoy the most at this point in the play. Do you think your opinions will change as we read?
You must respond to the prompt in 3 paragraphs by Friday, November 12th at Midnight. You must then respond to at least two of your classmates by Sunday, November 14th at midnight.
The atmosphere of the play is very solemn and serious all of the time. There is almost no relief throughout the entirety of what we have read so far. The atmosphere is conveyed mostly by Tom, whose attitude and actions directly affect everyone else's. Tom provokes Amanda the most, by regularly smoking and going to the movies. Amanda reacts by constantly telling him what he is doing wrong and how she would like him to act instead. Amanda, then, tries to live vicariously through Laura in constantly trying to get gentlemen callers and by using Laura's gentleman caller as an excuse to wear her nicest dress and relive her younger days. Laura and Tom both care a lot about each other, but it is more obvious in Tom as he is the narrator and as he is the one who is somewhat living in reality.
ReplyDeleteLaura, who has a low self-esteem from being crippled, runs away from and avoids her problems. Tom has not yet run away from his problem, but he tries to escape and take breaks from his burdens. Amanda just makes jokes about her problems, like always joking about how the father enjoyed "long-distance" relationships. She either makes jokes to lessen the intesity of a certain situation or she turns to telling her children what they are doing wrong in their lives. An example of this would be when she reproaches Laura for not going to the typing class. In relation to each other, Laura tries to be a peacemaker between Tom and Amanda. Amanda uses Laura as a guilt-trip tactic against Tom ever leaving. Finally, Tom tries to get along with Amanda for Laura's sake.
The character I like the most so far is Tom. Amanda is annoying and I think that I would lash out too (like Tom) if someone was constantly telling me that everything I did in life was wrong. I don't like Laura very much, because I'm afraid she reminds me of myself sometimes. I don't think that that will change. I feel bad for all of them, because all of there situations are not great ones. I also don't really like how each reacts to their own situation; but, I think I will like Tom the best even at the end of the play.
The atmospheres of the play: fear, fustration, love, anger, and tenseness are set by the relationships the different characters have. whenever amanda and larua are interacting, the tone seems very tens and somewhat furtrating, as if amanda is knocking her head against wood and it just...wont...move. she is clearly trying to get through to her daughter, trying to influence what she does so that laura will not waste her life, but she cannot get throuh to her. the fustrating tenseness is compounded by the fact that amanda seems a bit reluctant to openly critize laura or say anything that will really hurt her feelings. althouh at one point, after amanda has dressed laura up, she tells her that thats the prettiest she'll ever be, one gets the feeling that comments like this are not uncommon. despite slights on her daughter's appearence, amanda has not yet raised her voice at laura. she treats her daughter as though she were a statue of sorts, not very pretty but not changeable either. she fears laura will end up an old maid, and trys to change that by making her pretty or remembering her past.
ReplyDeleteamandas approach with tom is different, and so is the attitude surrounging their relationship. amamda is not shy about critizing her son, or telling him exactly what she thinks of his plans and his future. while this tone is also a little fustrating, it is not as tense. it seems more angry, but with a touch or remorse. while amanda cannot change laura because that is her nature, she cannot change tom because he has gone too far. and she seems to fear he might end up too much like his father. she deals with this fear by challenging him as far as she can but ends up letting him have is way.
tom and laura have a delicate relationship. something about the story suggests that they were once very close friends and playmates, but they grew further apart. still there is love there, and philos love is the prevailing tone. tom wants what will be good for laura, he wants her to be happy, but he is realizing that he will never be happy as along as his only purpose s for her. larua clearly respects tom, and sees him as a protector, but one that she sometimes needs to be protected from. this adds a bit of fear to the atmosphere. laura deals with her fear by cowering away, hiding on her long walks or on the sofa.
so far, the character i most enjoy is laura. she is quite, does not speak many lines and does not get involved with things that do no concern her. based on the other characters so far, i do not expect my opinion to change significantly.
in response to grace:
ReplyDeleteI do indeed think that there lies a difference between running away to avoid one's problems in life, as dramatically demonstrated by laura, and the approach of tom, which is to attempt to break away from them. if one merely runs from problems, it is a sure fact that they will continue to follow, despite the distance one may have set. however, if one merely takes breaks from dealing with one's problems, provinding he has the intention to return to them at a later time and deal with them, then it is possible that at some point, the problems might be fully delt with and willl not become parasitic burdens. i think you made this distinction quite accurately.
Tennessee Williams creates a dark and intense atmosphere in the Glass Menagerie by the relationships that he establishes between the characters. Amanda and Tom have an aggressive, relationship. With Tom’s habits of “going to the movies” and smoke he often finds himself in conflict with his mother. His mother constantly critiques his actions and demands that he change. This relationship adds to the intensity by creating conflict between the characters. Amanda has a similar relationship with Laura. She is equally critical of Laura’s schooling tactics and her efforts to find a suitor. This adds to the darkness and intensity of the mood. Laura tries to lighten the mood up between herself and Amanda with her innocent attitude, but it comes to no avail. Thus the mood stays the same. The relationship between Laura and Tom is of a different nature than the others. In this relationship there exists a spark of hope; but eventually it sours due to stress caused by the events in the book. Thus it adds to the sheer darkness of the novel.
ReplyDeleteEach character acts differently throughout the situations that are presented in the book. Amanda, much like Tennessee William’s mother, reacts with her stressed and overwhelmed personality. She often can be caught stewing over some dilemma that has been presented in the plot. Tom deals with situation in far different manner than Amanda. He goes throughout the book with a- me first attitude, and along with his sarcasm he continues to look out only for himself. The only exception to this is his dealings with his sister where he shows a hidden affection and caring for her. Laura attempts to deal with situations, but often can not. She is many times so self-conscience that she is too worried about what others thinks thus she can not continue to finish the task. However when she does deals with certain things she is capable of, she does so with sweet demeanor.
The character I most enjoy throughout the novel is Tom. He adds some interesting drama to the story which makes the story more entertaining. Despite his reckless abandonment of his family I still like him. My opinion will probably change throughout the book of Tom. I predict myself not liking him by the end of the novel. This is because of how he really does not care for his family even though they need him so much.
Throughout the play, Williams creates an atmosphere that is suffocating and full of resentment, with a couple breaks in for laughter.
ReplyDeleteIn the relationships we see, everyone has resentment towards somone, and that someone is usually the never-present father/husband. Amanda resents him for leaving her with two children. Tom resents him for leaving in general and not having what it takes to stay. Laura, while she doesn't say much, seems to be most resentful toward Amanda. Her mother wants to live vicariously through Laura; inviting over gentleman callers and dressing up and looking nice for someone that couldn't care less what she looks like. Laura doesn't want to be in the spotlight due to her crippling lack of self-confidence, and yet Amanda is constantly putting her in positions where she is uncomfortable, like typing class.
Another atmosphere that is evoked through relationships in this play is surpressed anger. Tom is just angry at the world. He is in a job that he hates because he has to care for a family that means nothing to him. He wants something else, but is stuck in the mundane reality that is his life. Amanda is angry at her estranged husband for leaving her in an obviously less-than-perfect state with two children. When he left, he took every ounce of her freedom with him. Laura, while she would never say anything, seems to be angry at everyone. She is angry at Tom for never being really present, at Amanda for putting her in situations she didn't want to be in in the first place, and mad at everyone else because of what she had to endure just walking to the back of the auditorium every day.
Williams creates a tense atmosphere that would be crushing if not for the humorous parts of Amanda and her girlish, naive view of the world. She is the comedic relief in an otherwise tense family situation that doesn't have a prayer of getting any better.
The atmospheres of the play are anger, reflection, tenseness, and love. Amanda is always reflecting on her young days where she had many gentlemen callers. the reflection turns into anger as to why Laura has not had any gentlemen callers. The anger turns into tenseness. Which is reflected on all of the wingfields.
ReplyDeleteTom and Laura are close as brother and sister. It is obvious that they love each other. Tom and Amanda do not get along very well. Amanda is always critiquing and angering Tom. tom then lashes out at Amanda and hurts her feelings. He then has to apologize and it starts all over again. Laura is used by Amanda. Amanda lives througgh Laura and she also "communicates" to Tom through Laura. Laura is a peacemaker between the two bickerers. Laura is shy and awkward. tom is not afraid to speak his mind. Amanda is critical. All three of the Wingfields have very different attitudes but they all end up somehow working together.
I like Tom the most. I like that he speaks his mind to his mother and yet apologizes to her. He is an agry man that has a soft spot for his sister. I don't know how my opinion will change as i continue reading.
The Glass Menagerie is a story that is told from Tom’s memory, the atmosphere takes up the tone and feelings the narrator has. Toms feelings of frustration and hatred towards the way his life is turning out has created a tens relationship between the family of three. There is a sense of importance in fulfilling the plans that mother has planned out for her two children. Mother and Son have a very stressful and conflicting relationship. Mother is relying on Tom to be the main provider for the family, expecting him to live up to her high standards. Tom on the other hand wants nothing to do with what his mother asks of him. Her controlling commands of him frustrate him more. He dreams of becoming something better than pleasing his mother. He dreams to have an adventurous life. Mother and Sister have a relationship in which the mother dominates over the daughter. Since Tom and mother are so domineering they are constantly butting heads. Laura on the other hand is crippled and she has allowed her defect to cripple her spirit and personality. Laura has become subject to mothers commands and plans. Mother controls what Laura does and Laura succumbs. Brother and Sister are joined through the preposterous personality of Mother. Tom loves Laura because he fells that he should be the father to her that they do not have. He loves her for who she is. Laura relies and loves Tom as if he was her father. She cares for him very much. Even after Tom leaves he is haunted by his sister memory because he left her with his mother as fragile as glass.
ReplyDeleteThe character that i enjoyed the most in this play is Tom. I was so frustrated with Laura’s pathetic state. I just don’t care for character who are so emotional and socially weak. I did not care for Mothers personality at all. Her need for dominance and the way she bragged about her beauty and success in the past made me hate her even more. Tom was my favorite because he was the only character who could stand up against mother’s foolishness and tell her what she really was. I was glad that someone could actually tell the character how I felt about her. Thank you Tom!
in response to Mark: I agree with pretty much everything you said, except that I think Tom does care about Amanda and Laura, more than he probably wants to. This is why he remembers Laura with regret and guilt throughought his travels at the end of the play.
ReplyDeletein response to Brittany: I liked your description of the atmosphere as "suffocating," because every character in that play besides Jim all feel suffocated in a way. You also had a good point when you said that all of their resentment sort of started with the dad deserting them. Most likely, the reason Amanda criticizes Tom so much is that she is afraid he'll turn out like his father. It is truly sad that her fear of him becoming like his father is what eventually pushes him away at the end.
The Glass Menagerie seems to hold a gloomy atmosphere throughout. I believe that this is Tennessee's way of showing that his life was quite bland and lonely. Tom, the narrator of the play, is the one that portrays the gloomy atmosphere the entire time. The way that he gets along with his mother really doesn't help to brighten the scene up any. He angers her all the time by going out to the movies all the time, and that only brings about more negativity. It seems as if Amanda relies on Tom all the time to be the man of the household and provide practically everything for them.
ReplyDeleteTom knows that his sister, Laura, has a problem and he seems to be the one that is the most sensitive towards her. Laura, though, is the one living in 'rose colored' glasses, and Tom is in reality, facing things as they come. Laura loves Tom very much, and Tom loves Laura for who she is. Tom, to Laura, could possibly be viewed as the father that she never had, which is why she loves him so much because he takes care of her needs as they come along.
As for mother / daughter relationship, Amanda definitely takes the lead role here. Since Tom is always fighting with his mother, it is apparent that they are both fighting for dominance which is why they never get along. Amanda basically tells Laura what to do, and due to her disability, Laura has to submit to her. Laura is also submissive because her disability has brought down her self esteem so she naturally feels inferior to Amanda.
Amanda, when fighting with Tom, is always the loser. Tom ends up either walking out on her, or yelling at her, or even calling her crude names (sometimes a combination of the three all at once.) Laura is, once again, submissive to everyone. Even when Jim is talking to her, she is quiet and seems fragile with every movement. To me, she is an incredibly prude person in all aspects of life. She strongly believes that just because she has a disability she will never have a chance with anything or anyone again. Jim, the final character introduced to the play, is the laid back, nice guy. I believe that Tennessee added this character to try and equalize the negativity with positivity. He is very outgoing and even asks Laura to dance with him. After doing so, he tells her that she is very pretty and proceeds to kiss her, further showing his outgoing attitude. Amanda is generally frustrated throughout the play. Tom never obeys her, nothing ever goes her way, and no one will get with her daughter. Even at the end, she is complaining to Tom about how he tried to make a fool out of them by introducing Laura to Jim.
RESPONSES:
Malinda, I agree with you when you say that Laura's state was pathetic. That really bothered me as well. Weak people who have a negative outlook on life really aren't anything to be around. They only bring you and everyone else they're around down and, eventually, make you feel the same as they do. Tom was also my favorite character because of the reason you pointed out; he could tell Amanda the way things were whether she liked to hear them or not. I'm a straightforward guy so I can relate to Tom the best in terms of telling people the truth and getting them to 'snap back to reality.'
Brittany, I never thought of the play as being suffocating, but that's a very good point. From what I was describing the play as earlier, 'suffocating' is the perfect word for such. I didn't really catch the resentment until you said something either. I agree that everyone had problems with one another through the play which helped put it together. It actually makes a bit more sense to me now that you mentioned this! I don't, however, believe that Amanda was the comedic relief. Jim seemed to be more of a comedic relief just because of the things he said and did. Amanda just seemed to always be *****y which was a huge downer to the play.
The dominate atmospheres in the play are dark, anger, frustration, somber, and love. Tennessee Williams used all of these to prove his point that even in the darkest of times, love can maintain the bond of a family. Anger and frustration are shown through Laura, who struggles coping with her disability and seemingly disappointing her mother, through Amanda who only wants the best for her daughter but clearly sees that she is physically held back from doing so, and through Tom who is frustrated that he is becoming more and more like his father. Most of the play is very serious and somber. Even at the lighter parts in the story, such as Jim and Laura's interactions, Laura's personality always maintains a somber mood. Finally love is seen throughout it all as Amanda is always trying her hardest to ensure that Laura receives everything she needs to live a happy and fulfilling life.
ReplyDeleteThe relationships between the three main characters are all different from each other. Between Tom and Amanda, there is a large amount of tension between them. The majority of their dialog consists primarily of arguing and yelling. The relationship between Amanda and Laura is of love, but only a one sided love. Amanda, although it may not seem like it, tries her best to show her love to Laura. She may come off as mean or intrusive, but in the end, all she wants is that Laura has a good life. However, Laura most likely does not feel loved when she is with her mother. She probably feels more oppressed and forced to do things, but they are in her best interest. Finally, the relationship between Tom and Laura shows Tom's softer side. Tom sympathizes with Laura. He acts as a comforter for her. He never argues with Laura. Instead, he is always gentle with their because he understands that she goes through the same things that he does, but she has even more struggles on top of that.
The character I enjoy the most at this point is Tom. His personality is much more entertaining to read about. Laura's personality in the play is not all that interesting, and Amanda, although entertaining at all, is often times comes off more rude than anything else. Tom has the attitude that many teenagers have. He is defiant to authority, he is trying to understand himself and everything he has gone through, just like many kids go through. He is the most relatable character in some aspects which makes his character both more enjoyable and easier to understand.
The atmosphere that is created by the author is one of uncomfortable tension, with a large majority of the text consisting of arguments or stressful conversations between the characters. Everybody seems to be unhappy with something; Amanda with her children, Tom with the lack of excitement and fulfillment in his life, and Laura with her insecurities and uncertainty of finding a suitor. It is out of this whirlwind of stress that the final section emerges as something significantly different from the rest of the play. It is a positive relief to the reader that puts a better light on the rest of the play.
ReplyDeleteA lot of this stress is brought about by the relationships between the different characters. The mother has a similar relationship with each of her children in which she is a bit disappointed in their decision-making. Tom responds to this with sarcasm and by just leaving altogether. Laura is less outspoken and therefore she kind of just reacts to it in accordance with her shy personality. Laura and Tom have something in common in their relationship with their mother, but they really don’t have a strong relationship between the two of them. They interact within the family but not much otherwise.
I think the character that I enjoy most is Tom. This is simply because he is the most entertaining person in the novel. Other than a few lines and events, I think Tom’s narration and personality carryings the “interest level” of the play. My opinion never really changed as we progressed in the novel, probably because none of the other characters did anything out of the ordinary to draw interest from me.
The mother and daughter seem to have the closest relationship, although it could just be on the surface. I have a feeling that Laura is probably extremely annoyed and embarrassed with her mom, whether she shows it or not. Amanda is relentless in trying to find a proper man for her daughter, but Laura has clearly given up.
ReplyDeleteThe mother/son relationship is filled with tension both on the surface and below. They aren't able to solve conflict and Jim puts little time into trying. He is too busy with friends to pay attention to things at his house, which he has no desire to be in more than he has to. He neglects the relationships with his family.
Laura is my favorite character in the play. Amanda and Jim both drop an air of tension, but thinking about Laura just makes me relaxed. She feels trapped in all the hustle and bustle, but all she wants is space to breathe. She is tired of her mom forcing things upon her and she wants to keep her mind occupied. She is innocent and anybody would want to see her succeed. It is my hope that she can emotionally overcome her fear and be confident with herself, but i think she needs someone to help her.
The tone in The Glass Menagerie, is one of frustration. Tennessee Williams displays this tone through Laura's disability, Amanda's tireless efforts to succeed, and Tom's lack of patience with his home life. Throughout the story each character has their own reason for the frustration they have and each handle it in a different way.
ReplyDeleteLaura has been held back all her life because of her leg. She has had to wear a brace and she allowed that simple manipulation to get in her way of living her life. She quit her college course because she got sick and could not stand having people there judge her for somebody she knows deep inside that she is not. However, on the outside she has completely given into her own disability. She shuts herself out from others, trying to be the least social she can. She allowed her frustration of herself to stop her from expressing who she truly was.
Amanda's frustration stared when her husband left her some many years ago. She did not want the same thing for Laura, but it was hard for her to watch Laura behind the bars of the brace too timid to find a man for herself. She was frustrated with Tom leaving every night to the movies and feeling as if he would do to her just as her husband did. Amanda's anger would randomly come out during the play and she would show her true colors, unlike Laura or Tom, who tried to run away from it all.
Tom, like Laura allowed his life to control him more than he controlled it. He got upset being at home with his mom and his sister, but unlike Laura who hid from her problems, he tried to run away from them. His mother and him continuously bickered and it would always end in her not caring and him going out to the movies. He was upset with his father, and how his mother always told him what to do. He was afraid of helping his sister because of what people might think about him for her. All in all he was frustrated with his home life. He never liked being there so he finally did what he thought was best and left.
William's creates a tone that reflects frustration. His use of each of these three characters was to emphasize this tone to the reader.
In response to brittany:
ReplyDeleteI like your word choice for describing the play's atmosphere: "sufficating." Tom feels trapped, both by his mother and by his feeling of duty to the family, especially since his father left. if he had not also left, as he did at the end of the play, he might have withered up, like a dehyderated piece of fruit.
The primary atmosphere throughout the play is quite dark and a bit ominous. This is because of the way that Tom narrates the play. As a result of Tom's personality shows great effects on the way that he narrates the play. Another atmosphere that is prevalent in the play is love. Amanda is always trying to get Laura to get a boyfriend through the entirety of the play. Also when Jim comes to visit he encourages Laura to be more available to get more gentlemen callers.
ReplyDeleteThe relationships between Tom, Laura, and Amanda are very different from each other. Tom and Amanda do not get along well because Amanda wants Tom to be more interactive with their family. Amanda and Laura do not seem to get along with each other either. Amanda is always trying to get Laura to get a boyfriend and to settle down, while Laura just want to be self sustained. The relationship between Tom and Laura is the only relationship that appears to work well in the story. At the beginning of the play they fight with each other, but near the end of the play Tom agrees to get Jim to come and see Laura. This shows that he care about Laura.
Each character in the play reacts differently to the situations in the family. Amanda always takes thing to seriously because she want to protect her children. Laura always goes to her glass menagerie for comfort, she think that if she withdraws herself from the situation no one will try to interact with her. Tom takes a similar approach to things. He "goes to the movies" when some major family issue that he will get involved in. This shows that he is weak and doe not know how to react to the family crises.
My favorite character in the story is Tom. At the beginning of the play he was a tough guy who did not care about the problems with his family. Near the end of the play he starts to open up more and helps Amanda to get Laura a gentleman caller. It is interesting to see the way that he reacts to problems in their family at the beginning of the play in comparison to the how he reacts at the end of the play.
In response to Ryan:
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was interesting when you said that one of the atmospheres in the play were love. When you said that love was the glue that bonded the family together, I was a little taken aback. I did not think that love was a strong bond the family shared. It was not love that bonded the family together but obligation. Tom is obligated to stay with his controlling mother in order to please her and provide. Laura is obligated to become something of her self, either go to school or get married. The mother is obligated to care for her children thus cramping her frivolous life style. They only logical reason that the family stayed together was the fact that they relied on each other for survival.
In response to Alex:
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting when you thought that Tom and Laura’s relationship that seemed to work well. Well then why is it that Tom was able to leave his sister with their dreadful mother with no electricity? That does not seem to be a working relationship. Why is it that Tom was able to put his sister through such a hopeless fait? He is later haunted by his sister’s helpless future that he out her in.
In response to Brittany:
ReplyDeleteI think Amanda is really the only person that resents her husband for what he did to her. Tom, on the other hand, ends up being just like his father. And he even states at the end that he did just as his father did and left. Therefore, i don't think Think Tom completely hates him. He still looks up to his father for advice (even though he was not there to give it to him) Tom learned from his actions and decided that that is the choice he wanted to make as well. But I do agree that Amanda is living through Laura because she never was able to have the life she wanted.
In response to Malinda, Malinda's response to Alex, and Alex:
ReplyDeleteBesides any relationship with Jim, the relationship between Laura and Tom is the strongest. As Malinda said in her response they seem to be understanding of each other in a way because they both have to put up with Amanda. The difference between them is that Tom has seen how much doing nothing or saying nothing back to her has done for Laura. So instead of letting Amanda control his life, he decides to take after his father and run away from his home life. Laura feels trapped into being the statue that she has become and is perfectly complacent hiding behind her fear. Tom does notice that and like Grace said he does feel regret when he thinks about Laura.
In reponse to Grace:
ReplyDeleteI never realized how Amanda was reliving her previous years through her daughter. Now that I'm looking deeper into her actions it becomes apparent. I also did not realize how Tom sets the pace for each character, how he controls how the others act. When he gives his mother sarcasm, she becomes upset, and when he wants to provoke anger in Laura, he can. Tom is the only character who truly makes the atmosphere of the play what he wants it to be.
In response to Ryan: I think the atmosphere is a little more of frustration than of tension. I do agree though that the frustration can cause some tension. The main display of frustration in the story has to be Laura. She has been frustrated her whole life with her disability and doesn't show it through anger, but shows it through quietness and reserve. I do agree with Ryan, but in a way I don't.
The atmosphere of the play is that of a false hope. The expectations that come to life through Amanda's expectations of a gentlemen caller for Laura, and Laura's life in general seem to be unattainable and this puts the family in awkward situations. Jim is eventually brought over to the house viewed as a gentlemen caller by everyone but himself. Even after he kisses Laura he feels as though this was simply a pleasant visit that must end so he might go pick up his soon to be wife.
ReplyDeleteThis atmosphere is personified through Tom. He never seems quite content with his situation. He doesn't even take the time to voice his complaints in a manner other than hurtful screams that leave nothing accomplished. he simply says that he is going to the movies, all the while anxiously awaiting an opportunity to leave the life that is holding him back, just as his father did.
The fact that Tom is ready for bigger and better things is also what makes him my favorite character throughout the story. Life isn't meant to be spent settling with the hand you've been dealt. yes there is something to be said for being content with what you have, but searching for something more meaningful never hurt anyone, as long as it doesn't become a constant pattern.
The atmosphere throughout the play is anger and despair combined with hope. The family situation is very difficult as they have many discouraging events. Tom has no father and an anitsocial sister. He looks to the future for strenth and a purpose. He is brought down by his family and is constantly reminded by that fact. Amanda always complains and tells the brutal honest truth, which makes her difficult to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThe silver lining in the story is that they still love each other and things can change.Laura is the perfect outcast because of her meekness, low self esteem and feeling sorry for her self. She brings the family down as a whole making them all easily frustrated and disappointed. at the end she experiences change and realizes her beauty this bring her hope and hope for the rest of her family.
There seems to be a continuous cycle of things that go wrong for the family. the love holds them together. to deal with the pain they argue and release frustration. everyday is the same for each of them wheather its going to the movies or dusting glass when they breakthrough thier patterns thats when hope becomes apparent for them. tom is my favorite because we both really like going to the movies..or at least thats what we tell our parents.
In Response to mark,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the relationship of Tom and Laura is different, but not so much that the conflict between Tom and amanda is something that Tom actually cares about. I think he is so ready to move on and have his own life that the arguments are things that keep him there, because he subconsciously feels guilty for not being more in tune with his family.
response to carissa: i agree with the fact everyone is frustrated. How they deal with it is different in thier own way. It is obvious through the tone that everyone is angry about something. the tension is released at the story as tom leaves. An angry family is an unhappy family.
ReplyDeleteResponse to noah: lol your favorite charecter would be laura. but i don't thinks she as chill as you think. i think shes constantly afraid or anxious about something. She bottles her emotions and wont even say whats on her mind. Lastly the laziest person ive ever herd of she pretty much wasted 18 years of her life being a hermit talk about a loser.
@Malinda - While I agree that the love isn't exactly one of the strong points of the family, it still is the semi-romantic ending with Laura and Jim that gives the story some hope amidst the frustration and tension.
ReplyDelete@Joel - I like how you said the atmosphere is personified through Tom. He is a character that in essence sums up the atmosphere of the entire play. His attitude and sarcasm fit right with the tension that occurs throughout the story.
In response to Noah: I don't think that Amanda and Laura have the closest relationship. I think that Tom and Laura have the closest. I think that both Tom and Laura feel annoyed by Amanda, and that is what helps their relationship become closer.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan: I agree with you. It's Tom's "speeches" that set the tone for most of the play. He seems to be the only character with emotion or feeling, and he is just an interestingly enteraining character.
In response to Joel: i like your word choice of "false hope". I think it fits really well because every one of the characters are hoping for something else, something that they can be proud of and actaully appreciate. But, with the minor exception of Tom, no one will do anything more than they are doing now.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan: i agree with you in the fact that that the atmosphere is one of uncomfortable tension. Everyone seems to be very uncomfortable, be it the situation that they're in or their personality in general. In the scene with Laura and Jim, you could almost feel how uncomfortable she was with the situation- and how her self-consciousness made her uncomfortable in the first place
In response to Ryan: I also thought a lot of the poem had many instances of awkward tension. The arguments between all of the characters not only makes those involved in the conversation uncomfortable, but anyone who comes in contact with the Wingfields. I also though the ending of the play was a nice contrast to the majority of the previous sections. Tom was my favorite character as well. I agree that he was essentially the only character that kept me interested in this play.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alicia: I saw many of the same atmospheres within the play. I liked how you showed how one atmosphere developed into another. I never really saw Laura as a peacemaker, but I can see where you are coming from.
In response to Noah- I agree with all of Noah’s points that he presents about the relationships in the book. He is correct that Laura have the closest relationship out of the family. This can be easily seen by many different interactions they have, but also it is true that Laura does feel a little oppressed and trapped by her mother’s will. Also it is true how Tom and his mother’s relationship is made mostly of tension and often comes to a boiling point. Even though Laura was not my favorite character I can see where no is coming from.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan- I agree with what Ryan states about the atmosphere of the book. It is true that most of the book is in tension or conflict due to circumstances and situations throughout the book. This stress Ryan speaks of exists every where. I also agree with his analysis of the relationships. He says Tom is sarcastic and Laura is quiet and Amanda is stressed. These are all true. I also agree with Ryan on how his favorite character is Tom, because so was mine.
the atmoshpere of the play is mainly frustration. we find out that TOm is very frustrated with the way his life is going. he is tired of being in the same routine every single day. Amanda is frustrated with her children, laura won't go to school and she isnt getting any closer to getting married and Tom is starting to become like his father.Laura is frustrated with the way she is and has no self confidence. This is probably a common family atmosphere for people around this time.
ReplyDeleteeach character has a different relationship with one another. amanda and tom's relationship is one of annoyance. tom is often annoyed with amanda, for examole the way she wakes tom up in the mornings or always asking him where he is going.yet they still love each other but it the type of love where you love them because you have too. amanda and laura are the closest of all the characters. we see this because they spend the most time together. tom and laura have a common brother sister relationship, but laura is a big responsibility in tom's life.
the character i like the most from this play is tom. he is stuck in this "rut" that he wants to escape from but he is afraid to leave because of the condition that his family would be left in.
in response to noah: i totally agree with what he said about the the mother daughter relationship. i think lauara is just done with living the way she has been and with the way her mother is trying to controll her life. i do think that their close relationship is only surface level also.
ReplyDeletein response to carrissa: i like the way you decribed the frustrating tone. each character has something to be frustrated about. i also like the way you said that laura and tom let thier lives controll them more than they try to controll thier lives.
in response to brittany-
ReplyDeleteWow, you hit it on the head. Everyone hates the dad, Tom doesn't care about the family, Amanda wants to live through her daughter, and Laura has no self confidence. I like how you said it is suffocating, because it is. It seems like everyone in the play is grasping for room to breathe, but something is getting in their way. It especially sucks for Laura when she gets played by Jim.
in response to Taylers response to my response.
Back up off man! Laura is a babe, don't hate. I'd like to see you live life to the fullest with a bum leg.
In response to Kneppe cuz i dont think my last response will count...
I'm glad you said one of the atmospheres is love- cuz it definately is. Also, you might be right about Tom and Laura being close, but i think that's just a phalse perception because we know the background of Tennesse and we know that he was especially close to his sister. There aren't really any examples from the play that i can think of that show Laura being able to penetrate Tom's impenetrable cover of "i hate life. Boo...". It isn't as if Tom and her share the special bond that Tennessee did with his sister, but it could be argued that of all the relationships in the book, this one is the closest.
In response to Noah: First off, I was wondering what you believe the atmosphere to be, and second, I disagree with your third paragraph. I do not believe Laura feels trapped at all or wants out of anything. She's so shy and goes with the flow throughout her whole life, and is content with whatever her mother wants her to do. The only time she seems unhappy is when Tom and Amanda fight. By the way, it's Tom not Jim.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Molly: I agree with you that the atmosphere of the play is one of frustration, as it is consistently revealed throughout the whole novel. However, I disagree that Laura and Amanda have the closest relationship. I believe that Laura loves her mother as any daughter would, but Amanda does not fully undertstand Laura. She pushes Laura to become like herself, instead of considering Laura growing as an individual. With that in mind, I believe Tom and Laura have the strongest relationship because all of Tom's actions reflect on Laura's mood and she is constantly concerned with her brother's well-being. Tom shows his care for his sister at the end of the play when he reveals that he is unable to forget his sister and her memory lingers with him.
Dear Kayla.
ReplyDeleteFirst, i think the atmosphere is of tension, neglect, despair and love. Second,you need to start thinkin like mark and molly =] Third. Tim, Tom, Jim, john, whats the difference?
In response to Alicia: I like how you connected all of the different atmospheres in to poem. I also liked how they each complimented each other. I agreed that Tom and Laura love each other which shows how strong their relationship is. I also found it funny that you made Laura seem like a huge tool, in the way the Amanda uses her to talk to Tom.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan L: I never looked at the different ways that Tennessee made the characters act to portray the overall theme. I think that uncomfortable is the perfect word to use to describe the tension in the family. The way that you described the relationships between Tom, Laura, and Amanda shows how completely disfunctional the family is.
The atmosphere of the play is somewhat gloomy. It doesnt feel very family oriented, and because of that it causes a lot of tension. They always seem to be stressed out about something. Whether it be the crazy mom, or Laura. Something is always wrong. I feel like the mom isnt really concerned about her kids, but more about her self.
ReplyDeleteLaura seems to react in a quiet way. She goes off by herself to cope quitly. The mom is crazy. She handles stress by running around like a chicken with her head cut off. She's always worrying about appearances. Tom handles his problems by just getting up and leaving. He runs away from his problems.
I enjoy Laura the most. SHe seems to be the most down to earth character that has a heart. The mom seems heartless, and Tom seems emotionally detatched.