The Glass Menagerie Part I
DUE SUNDAY @ MIDNIGHT
At the beginning of Act I, Tom opens the scene by introducing the production. After reading the introduction, studying Williams' past, and historical context, analyze Tom's character. Using direct quotes from the first scene, discuss Tom's personality, his tone, and perhaps how he may embody Williams himself.
You must respond in no less than 2 paragraphs, and respond to at least 1 of your classmates by Sunday at midnight.
Tom is a paradox.He uses sarcasam to bring about serious points, such as in his shpeel on page fifty-two, when he completely turns around his mother's point that she does not believe he always goes to the movies, "I dont believe that lie"(1:3), and turns it into a fiction blown entirely out of porportion, "I'm going to the opium dens..."(1:3). he is not exactly rude, even though it seems he belittles his mother, "You-ugly-babbling-old witch"(1:3). he is a grown man, or nearly so, as well as the income-provider for the household. and while a lesson in manners would do him no harm, as of now he is just expressing his great fustration. Tom can be a bear, as he was when he yelled at his mother, but he does have a gentler side. when in his rage he breaks Laura's collection of animals,and hurts her by doing so hurts her, he takes care to pick them up and put them as they were."He drops down awkardly on his knees to collect the fallen glass, glancing at Laura as if he would speak but couldn't"(1:3). If Tom had had an easier life, or if he had been given the freedom to write poetry as he wished, he may not have been as violent as he was sometimes. he still might have been sarcastic, something that sarcastic people cannot really help, but his sarcasam would not have turned into rage so easily.
ReplyDeletewhen i think of Tennessee Williams writing this play, I see him writing in hopes that certain people see it. his father, for one, and maybe those he went to school with. I think that he hoped that when or if his father saw it, he waould realize what haappened to his family after he left. he would realize that by his leaving, he had condemed Williams to a miserable job, and his wife to worry, and his daughter to fear. When his former classmates or neighbors saw it, i think Williams hoped that the play would justify the Williams family's seemingly odd behaviior; as if by giving these people a glimpse behind the curtain of his private life, they may better understand the family. this is why i think Williams wrote the character of Tom so closely to himsself. Giving Tom a menial job, a crippled sister, a fretful mother, and a wish to get out of it all was Williams way of releaseing his pent-up fustration with the same, while clueing in the world.
In The Glass Menagerie Tom is a man who is very frustrated about where he is in life. He really wants to lead a better life than what he does but he cannot help it and he feels like it would be impossible to improve. He feels like he is in a very hopeless situation. He has to listen to his mother fret and whine because life is not going the way she wants it to. Tom knows that his mother is living in a dream world and has no intention of leaving it.
ReplyDeleteI think that Tennessee Williams made Tom resemble himself so that people could see something that they had not before. Whether the people that had been around Williams as he grew up knew what had really happened in that household or not as it happened is a different story. Through The Glass Menagerie and the parallels that Williams drew between himself and Tom Wingfield, Williams was able to show pieces of his life that the public had not seen before nor would they have understood without the aide of this play. Williams led a hard life and he showed that through Tom Wingfield.
Response to Erin:
ReplyDeleteWhile yes Tom's outburst at his mother was completely out of proportion he was also very upset with her for her consistent complaining and that was how he just let it out. He didn’t exactly intend to belittle his mother but he was just very angry with her for refusing to believe him when he said that he was going to the movies.
Tom is an exact replica or symbol of tennessee williams. His family situation and obstacles can relate to his main charecter in the glass menagerie. Tom's father was a drankard who left his mom. In the same way williams was mistreated by his dad who was also an alcoholic traveling man. Lastly thier mothers are both disillutioned and crazy living in their past. Williams is able to effectively portray this family based on how he expierenced family life.
ReplyDeleteTom's attitude and how he is percived is a rough, rowdy guy but also has a soft spot. Much like williams, tom uses substances to deal with his problems. "you come in stumbling. mutteriing like a maniac" Tom responds with basically at least I'm not as crazy as you. He does care for those around him. maybe because he has no other option to but he still does reguardless of his families actions. Using tom, Williams expresses himself and he becomes a direct representation.
response to erin: I agree that tom is a paradox. I think he is this way because he doesn't know himself or who he is yet. this may be because he lets others define him. It seems like he is waiting for an event or change of pace to determine who he truly is. hopefully with maturity he can find himself and be content with what he is.
ReplyDeleteerin: in response to hanley...
ReplyDeleteI think that if tom is a direct representation of williams, than the rest of the family must also directly represent williams's family. i realize this was already said, but going off the comment "at least i'm not as crazy as you..." this corelation says a lot about what williams thought about his own mother, to have portrayed her in such a way. if williams mother really was as crazy/cotrrolling/fearful as amanda, than it's easy to see where some of williams problems came from, nut also his sene of eqaulity. if williams's mother/amanda treated rose/laura in a way equal to the rest of society, it is easy to see where williams's thoughts on servants came from in his essay
Tom's character and personality, like most people's, is directly influenced by his family and the home he grew up in. Tom, himself, states from the begining that his he, Amanda, and Laura are "somehow set apart from" (1:1) reality. Tom also most likely feels that Amanda is forceing on him the task of pulling their family into realiy. Tom obviously fights against this. This constant tug of war between him and his mother makes him sarcastic, resistant, and often times rude, producing, of course the opposite effect that Amanda hoped for. The more she tries to control Tom and hold on to him, the more he lashes out. He does feel the weight of the responsibilty that Amanda has placed on him, and he does try to provide for the family in a way his father never did. He does truly care for them, especially Laura who he knows and worries about. He even tries to protect Laura from what Amanda is doing to him, in living vicariously through them. His concern comes out when they are discussing Jim's visit and he says, "Mother, you musn't expect too much of Laura... Laura seems all those things to you and me because she's ours and we love her" (1:5).
ReplyDeleteTom's tone is disappointed and frustrated. He sees his homelife and his work as boring and lifeless, so he goes to the movies every night to get a taste of "adventure" (1:4). He is sick of his work, and he is sick of other's thinking that working in the shoe factory is the only thing he'll ever aspire to. He is probably afraid of the thought. So he is trapped between what he wants to do and what he feels he has to do. Like Williams, Tom's father often traveled so they didn't see much of eachother. Both Williams and Tom also wrote to escape from their lives. And both felt trapped, having to take care of family - Willaims taking care of Rose and Tom taking care of Laura and Amanda- even when they wanted something else for their lives.
in response to hanley: I though what you said about Tom having "no other option" but to love Amanda and Laura was very interesting and ture. I think this is another way in which Tom is trapped. No matter what he decides to do, to stay and work to provide for them the rest of his live or to up and leave them to have to fend for themselves, he will love them and will never forget them. They will always be in his mind and on his heart, and I think that has kept him from leaving until now. He realizes that even if he were to leave, Amanda and Laura in that house would alwyas be in his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTom takes right after his family. He appears to be a very sarcastic person, especially when talking with his mother. When in conversation with his mother, he would say things such as "I bet you could talk" (33). His attitude is also displayed through his actions. "Coming, Mother. [He bows slightly and withdraws](31). The way he acts is almost in a way that mocks his mother.
ReplyDeleteTom emulates Williams in many ways. His family situation, being with a sister who is crippled is very similar to the life William's grew up in. Tom also deals with drinking and smoking to his mother's disapproval much like Williams dealt with many issues as a result of his fame. Both Tom's and Williams' fathers were often gone and were both heavy drinkers. Finally, both probably had a strained relationship with their mothers. Both mothers seem prone to hysterical attacks, though probably for different reasons. In many ways, Tom is an exact replica of Williams.
In response to Hanley: I also saw a lot of similarities between Tom and Williams. Tom does appear to come off as rough often throughout the story, but in particular when he converses with his mother. I do not think he does not care about the people around him because of the remorse he shows after he throws his coat, but I do think the relationship he had with his father negatively affected the way he treats the rest of his family. He may just be becoming the man he resented so much.
ReplyDeleteTom is a character that is rooted in sarcasm, and it is very possibly a direct representation of Williams himself. The responses that Tom makes towards his family have an "I don't care" tone and he definitely has a personality that is clear-cut to the reader. It seems that when characters in literature are strongly opinionated or specifically developed, they reflect a specific person in the author's life; possibly the author himself. In this case I think Williams uses Tom to send his impressions to a wider audience.
ReplyDeleteTom is also a character that has not found something to give him true satisfaction in his life. He turns to things like smoking and movies, but these things never really make him feel any better. This leaves him in a negative mood most of the time, leading to him doing things like calling his mother an "ugly- babbling old- witch" (1:3). Perhaps this is a window into William's own family life, and his lack of satisfaction in his work and hobbies.
In response to Bethie, I agree that maybe Williams used Tom to show people things they may have not known. As an author, he has the power to make his opinions or arguments known without having to publicly "come out of his shell". Sort of like those shy kids that are suddenly outspoken on facebook, an author can let everything out in a book through the characters.
ReplyDeleteThe character of Tom is very upfront and straightforward. He is seldom shy or restrained with his commits or thoughts, but he does have a soft spot for Laura his disable sister. His bold character is shown on pg 31 “I haven’t enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat.” He retorts, the commands of Amanda with a strong set if comments to basically tell her to back off and let him enjoy dinner. “Laura glances at him with a faint, apologetic smile. Her voice catches a little.” (36) Laura shows her affection created by her brothers caring by her apology that she gives him.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite obvious that Tennessee Williams personified some of his own character in the character of Tom in The Glass Menagerie. He shows throughout the almost all of scene one that the character of Tom is directly related to himself. “I’m getting a cigarette.” (32) Here probably alludes to a smoking habit that Tennessee Williams had in real life. “How did you entertain those gentlemen callers” (33). He uses the sarcasm of Tom, here to show his own feelings towards his mother. Tennessee still loved his mother, but was a little over whelmed and irritated by her constant panic like attitude. Tom’s affection shown to Laura is also a parallel to how he felt about his sister and her disability.
In response to Ryan's response I agree completely with him. The sarcastic tone brought up by Tom is claerly a direct characteristic. Also the indifferant tone of Tom is clearly also just like Tennessee. It is quite believable that just like Tom Tennessee also used things like smoking and drinking to fill the gaps in his life. This is where both their negative attitudes stem from.
ReplyDeleteTom in The Glass Menagerie is how Tennnessee Williams gets his personal story out into the world. he uses tom to portray himself, tom is somewhat of a social outcast he does the same thing every night. he goes out and stays out late then "Comes in stumbling. Muttering to himself like a maniac! he get three hours of sleep and then go to work." he is in such a routine that even his mother notices. Tennessee Wiliams is also a social outcast that is why he truned to writting and movies, he was also know as a homosexual. tom and Tennessee are both alcoholics, i think they both used drinking as a way of dealing with thier situations in life that they were un happy with.
ReplyDeletetennesssee 's family is portrayed through tom's family. tennesses's mother is prone to histerical attacks, his father was a traveling salesman and a heavy drinker, his sister Rose had a mental illness that really had an effect on tennessee. toms family is a pretty close match, his mother was kinda crazy and lived in the past, his father left them and was aslo a heavy drinker, and Laura his sister has pysical defects and wears a brace on her leg. we can see that tom feels that he has to watch out for laura.
response to mark: i totally agree with the what you said about the way he uses toms sarcasm to show how he felt about his own mother and how he uses toms affection towards laura to show how he felt about his own sister and how he delt with her disabilty. that was his own way of expressing how he felt about his family.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the first act there are many references that are made that can be paralleled between Tom and Williams. Both Tom and Williams looked after a crippled sister. Both their fathers were out drinking for a large majority of their lives. Their mothers suffered from paranoia and it effected the way that they could help with their crippled daughter. Williams wrote the play so that it would portray his lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteTom has a very hard home life that he has to deal with because of his father's absence. During the dinner scene Tom doesn't say much but what he does say revealed some characteristics about his personality. " I haven't enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it (31)." This phrase shows Tom's emotions toward his mother. Amanda wants to civilize Tom, but Tom just doesn't care. " Tom: I'm getting a cigarette. Amanda: You smoke too much (32)." Tom is sort of a bad boy and a rebel, this is shown through his use of cigarettes.
The similarities between the Glass Menagerie and the life of Tennessee Williams are unmistakable. Williams used Tom's character to depict himself in this story. Growing up, his family was far from the picture perfect family that you see in the movies. His bad childhood influenced his future and that is shown later on in his life when he becomes an alcoholic and is checked into a psychiatric hospital. In the story, Tom's character is unimpressed with his mother's stories about her gentleman callers, mocking her saying "I bet you could talk" (33)
ReplyDeleteTom is sick of the way that his mother treats him and expects Laura to be more succesful than she was. Amanda does not realize that Laura's disability affected the way that other people saw her. Amanda did not understand why Laura did not have gentleman callers coming to dinner every night. It is evident that Tom loves his sister and would protect and stick up for her if he ever needed to. "Tom utters another groan. Laura glances at him with a faint, apologetic smile. 'Mother's afraid I'm going to be an old maid'"(36) This is another similarity between Tom and Tennessee Williams. Williams had to take care of his younger sister while he was at home just as he did in the Glass Menagerie.
Tom is a character that seems to care little for the future and lacks to see the many ways it can affect him and those he loves. This is shown in scene three when him and his mother are fighting. When he finally can take no more he acts out of his temper and breaks Laura's glass collection. After he sees what he destroyed, he tries to pick it up and fix it. Unfortunately it is too late. Even when his mother asks him to bring home a gentlemen caller for his sister he fails to see the priority in that. He does not understand that his lack of obedience allows his sister to continue using her disability as an excuse. He also decides to not help his mother with all of her stress for Laura.
ReplyDeleteWilliams used Tom to portray some of his own life. He had a traveling father that drank all the time and a mother that would have hysterical attacks. Between them and his sister, he felt as if he needed to escape from life as much as he could. Unfortunately he did not see how his decisions in the present would affect who he would become later. After his fame he became a drunkard who suffered from depression and insanity. Both Tom and Williams have a problem dealing with the situations life put them in, but neither of them took control of their life, they only turn and run, but before they realize it, life catches up with them and hits harder than ever.
Tom starts the scene by stating "Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve," (29) which immediately gives the reader the sense that Tom will be a cunning, perhaps deceiving, character throughout the play. This point is further proved just two sentences later when he says "I give you truth in the pleastant disguise of illusion." (29) From reading the background of Tennessee Williams, we find out that he was a social outcast and faced many hardships throughout his life. Tom is, in a way, a replica of Tennessee's life. Williams talks about how he used alcohol to get away from his problems, and later in the play we find out that Tom does the same thing.
ReplyDeleteDue to Tom's father always being out drinking, Tom has to deal with his life differently than most boys of his age during this time period. This is also a parallel of Williams and Tom. Though Tom may appear to be intimidating in the way he reacts toward his mother, we can really see that he cares for his disabled sister. This could be a sign that Tom is just putting on a face to show that he's tough, but in reality, he may be a very kind gentleman.
Response to Alex: When you say that Tom is a 'rebel' and a 'bad boy,' I never thought of it that way, but it makes logical sense. Back in this time period, those who smoked usually had a 'smug' appearance to them and were intimidating. This also helps support my point that Tom could be putting on a face to try to seem tough to those who are around him.
In response to Ryan: I agree with how Tom turns to little satisfactory things in life instead of dealing with life itself. He tries to run away too much, however he can never truly find contentment in that so he continues to seek that through things such as smoking or movies. After reading Williams "Catastrophe of success" it is easier to see that he was never really satisfied with his life. In William's later years he was controlled by his life and suffered from depression. Because of his pleasure in worldly pleasures, he never was able to enjoy life for what it was, only for what it did to his family and even him.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Bethie:
ReplyDeleteI agree that his most of what he does is because of his frustration with Amanda's displeasure with his life. I think that he has some similar traits that his father had, but he would never get up and leave like his father had, because he was hurt as a boy when his father left. So i think that everything that tom does that his mom disapproves of like smoking, drinking and going to the movies is his way of dealing with the stress to be better than his father and to take care of his mom and sister.
In response to Bethie: I like how you used the concept of Amanda trying to make Tom fit into her dream world. I also like how you put that Williams showed parts of his life through Tom that he could not explain to people conversationally and how you said that people see Williams' hidden emotions through the way that Williams portrayed Tom.
ReplyDeleteTom is a very complex character. Like the author himself they both are unique . Tom is very harsh to his mother, calling her an “ugly babbling old witch” (53) greatly exaggerating, and blowing the situation out of proportion. He is a dreamer caught in a web of women, he longs for adventure, but yet does nothing to improve his life any. He is enslaved to his mother and sympathizes for his sister. Honestly I am not surprised that Tom has such a depressing and unmotivated out look in life, if I had a mother that gave, “constant directions on how to eat” (31), I too would be discouraged from pleasing her and fulfilling life's accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteBased off of what I learned bout Williams' life, Tom is a character that portrays the author. William had a handicapped sister, an over bearing mother, and an alcoholic father. Since his family and childhood days were not the most pleasing of times Tom, Amanda, and Laura were the examples as to what his life was like. I feel that Williams had shame on his family and its interactions with society so that is how he characterized theses characters.
In response to Carrissa, I feel that Tom does care about his future. He talks about how all he wants is adventure, and I have to say he is more just frustrated with the cards that he was dealt and the life that he got. I feel like he has anger towards his mother, Tom may think that the reason their father left was because of their unrealistic mother. So he blames her for the boring low class life that he leads. Taking his frustration out on his family he lashes out and takes on the characteristic of not wanting to live the life that he has. He goes about his day like he has no purpose for life, not knowing what he wants to be, but inside he knows clearly what he wants to be.
ReplyDeleteWilliams embodies himself through Tom, the lead character of his play, using several different tactics. Tom is a sarcastic and clever character who uses wit commonly, toward every member of his family. He gives sarcastic comments such as "Yes, mother" quite often, and seems to be an emotional man, as seen when he fights with his mother in scene three.
ReplyDeleteWilliams also embodies himself in some other more obvious ways. He gives Tom's sister a disability, when his sister has one herself. He also makes many references to Tom's constant need to smoke, which I personally believe is referring to his personal drug and alcohol problem. A final similarity between the two is their emotions being constantly present. Though I quickly touched this earlier, I believe it is the most important link between the two. Both share many similar characteristics, leading many to believe Tom embodies his creator, Tennessee Williams.
That's meant to be split into two paragraphs when it says "Williams also embodies..."
ReplyDeleteIn response to Carrissa:
ReplyDeleteI agree with the part where you said he doesn't show much love for his family members, but I believe he is constantly looking past the present time, being selfish and thinking what is going to happen next. I know this really isn't fair, but according to scene 6, he has been looking intently on the future and what he wants to do next.
Tom is immediately portrayed as an interesting character. He starts out by telling the audience that he has tricks in his pockets and things up his sleeve (29). This gives an interesting look into what kind of character will be revealed throughout the play in him. Although there isn't much of this wild, prankster behavior shown early, it is expected that there is more than meets the eye with him.
ReplyDeleteThere are many similarities between Tom and Williams. Tom could very well be a character made specifically to get his story out. Both Tom and Williams had alcoholic fathers, a highstrung mom to say the least, and a sister who was in some way disabled. Tom has gotten caught up in some things that are bringing tension to the family, and they are evident through his snippy attitude and the fact that he smokes despite what his mom says. After one conversation where his mom is trying to convince him that with the money he could save on cigarettes he could go to college and do something with his life. To that he replies "I would rather smoke" (70). The addiction that controls much of his life is just another way Tom and Williams are very similar
in response to Cole:
ReplyDeleteI agree about it being related to his own smoking and alcohol problem. If Tom keeps going down the road he is going, he might end up like Tennessee did and die a premature death related to drugs. Also, why do you think Hhe included the handicapped sister? I think he did it to show how mature Tennesse was with his handicapped sister. He obviously has a good feel for how to act and appropriate responses, even moreso than his mother. He tries to explain to his mom that not all people see past the handicap as easily as they do. While he loves his sister to death, he is able to see and understand an outsiders view of her.
Tom is a young man who feels trapped in his ordinary life. His daily routine centers around him working a dead end job at a shoe factory and being the sole supporter of his mother and sister. Tom has difficulty expressing his emotions and in order to mask his insecurities and disappointments he results to sarcasm. His mockery allows him to keep his sanity amidst his frustration.
ReplyDeleteThere are many similarities between Williams and Tom. Both characters had dead beat fathers, mothers who were overcome with paranoia and sisters that were disabled. Williams, despite his success, felt trapped in his life just as Tom had the inability to move forward.
In Response to Malinda: I agree that Tom is a very complex character. I thought you had an intersting prospective when you wondered how you would act if you were in Tom's shoes.
ReplyDeleteDear Molly Jo,
ReplyDeleteI completely forgot that Tennessee Williams was a homosexual. The Glass Menanagerie would almost be an autobiography if he included that in it. I think he probably didn't because he might have been embarrassed about it or society wouldn't have accepted him or his work. (I think something like that was mentioned in our notes about the author, but i'm not positive). And also, Molly, you made me remember about his father that was never around. Throughout the glass Menagerie i never even thought about where the dad was, but I have a feeling that in both Tom and Tennessee's lives, the presence of a father figure would have greatly changed their lifestyle choices and inward character.
NOOOOO!! i responded to the wrong thing, Bob Saget!
ReplyDeleteTom has to chose between persuing his own desires and that of his family's. His family is somewhat disfuncional and there is a sense of responsibility that comes with his disabled sister. He fells obligated to look out for her and protect her. He choses some times to "go to the movies", and these are the times that he gets to escape the harsh reallities of his home life.
ReplyDeleteTom and Williams are very similar. Williams projects his own personal life through that of Tom's life. Both had messed up families. Most of all, both had a disabled sister that they loved and did anything in the world for. Both have sisters that somewhat consume their life.
Xcylar:
ReplyDeleteDO you think that given all the responsibilites that Tom is given, that her resents his family for it? Who do you think he places the majority of the blame on?