Manipulation in both situation and personality is a recurring theme in the Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Amanda often tries to manipulate Tom in order to prevent him from becoming like his father. Amanda also tried to change Laura to keep her from being a lonely, old maid. On a few occasions, Jim tried to alter Laura’s personality. The theme of alteration to change fate in the Glass Menagerie can be determined through Amanda, Tom, and Jim.
After her husband left, Amanda tried many times to alter the way her son, Tom, behaved to prevent him from becoming like his father. During a fitted fight about Tom leaving so much, Amanda exasperatedly said, “More and more you remind me of your father” (Williams 35). Throughout the play, Amanda …show more content…
The series of remarks begins with Jim saying, “You shouldn’t have been so self-conscious” (Williams 75) when Laura spoke of her embarrassing leg brace. Laura’s characterization is very shy and humble, in direct result of her mother’s harsh demands, her father’s absence, and her brother’s attitude. Her humble attitude is a large part of who Laura is. Jim obviously, meant no harm by telling her she shouldn’t be so self-conscious. However, this comment would require a complete change in Laura’s personality by making her confident. On page 80, Jim begins to tell Laura she has an inferiority complex which can be changed by simply being pompous. Jim then begins a lengthy description about how he fixed his inferiority complex. Again, Laura’s humble attitude is what makes her who she is. By suggesting that she be more confident, Jim would cause Laura to be a completely different person, and in the end cause a different plot. Had Laura been confident, she would have talked to Jim in highschool, not dropped out of college and gone out of her way to find “gentleman callers”. Towards the end of scene seven, Jim goes on about how beautiful Laura is, kisses her, and then tells her about his fiance (89). Throughout the length of their conversation, Laura had been warming up to him. Just as she thinks he likes her, he kisses her and tells her about his fiance. Everything her had told her up to this point was now seen as a waste. Jim had played her, and given her the false hope that he liked her, then crushed it like a bug. If his affections had been a lie the entire time, the advice was too. Jim’s acts upon Laura more than likely destroyed her trust, therefore, making her more shy. Jim, just as other characters makes attempts to alter someone or something in the
After her husband left, Amanda tried many times to alter the way her son, Tom, behaved to prevent him from becoming like his father. During a fitted fight about Tom leaving so much, Amanda exasperatedly said, “More and more you remind me of your father” (Williams 35). Throughout the play, Amanda …show more content…
The series of remarks begins with Jim saying, “You shouldn’t have been so self-conscious” (Williams 75) when Laura spoke of her embarrassing leg brace. Laura’s characterization is very shy and humble, in direct result of her mother’s harsh demands, her father’s absence, and her brother’s attitude. Her humble attitude is a large part of who Laura is. Jim obviously, meant no harm by telling her she shouldn’t be so self-conscious. However, this comment would require a complete change in Laura’s personality by making her confident. On page 80, Jim begins to tell Laura she has an inferiority complex which can be changed by simply being pompous. Jim then begins a lengthy description about how he fixed his inferiority complex. Again, Laura’s humble attitude is what makes her who she is. By suggesting that she be more confident, Jim would cause Laura to be a completely different person, and in the end cause a different plot. Had Laura been confident, she would have talked to Jim in highschool, not dropped out of college and gone out of her way to find “gentleman callers”. Towards the end of scene seven, Jim goes on about how beautiful Laura is, kisses her, and then tells her about his fiance (89). Throughout the length of their conversation, Laura had been warming up to him. Just as she thinks he likes her, he kisses her and tells her about his fiance. Everything her had told her up to this point was now seen as a waste. Jim had played her, and given her the false hope that he liked her, then crushed it like a bug. If his affections had been a lie the entire time, the advice was too. Jim’s acts upon Laura more than likely destroyed her trust, therefore, making her more shy. Jim, just as other characters makes attempts to alter someone or something in the