Comp II
Ms. Dittion
27 February 2018
Glass Menagerie: The True Perception of Reality
In modern day society, the concept of perceiving life and alternate realities from the eyes of others is understood by but a few. Likewise, in written works and theatrically produced scripts, the idea of what is the perceived actuality and true reality is a topic that many writers try to define and discuss, but do not do so appropriately. Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is a comprehensible interpretation of this fine line topic, and explores the realities of a lower-class family. The family consists of a single mom and her two adult children, who were abandoned by their late father. The mother, Amanda Wingfield, seems to live in the …show more content…
She struggled to raise her two children, and blamed her late husband for her hardships. A notable constant reminder of the burden is a framed picture of him above the mantel. In the original script, she turns toward the mantel when she reminisces of him or blames him. As for the film, she does not acknowledge the picture to the degree that was purposed in the original script. Another key indicator of her being trapped in the past is her wardrobe. One example of her outdated attire is her DRA outfit a “cloth coat with an imitation fur collar. Her hat is five or six years old, one of those dreadful cloche hats” (Williams 755). The outfit presented a false sense of upper society. The DRA outfit is one of the many examples of her outfits that can be described as old-fashioned and possibly even pitiful. She is holding on to a time that has long since passed. The representation of her outfits in the film showed slightly withered clothing and the fur clumped together in spots, mocking the faux likeness. The thin hat had a large, light-colored flower on top with a small black veil, which the script left to the reader’s imagination. As for the character performance, the acting was over the top, which helps perpetuate the idea of the façade that she lives. For instance, when she tells Laura of her gentlemen callers, she is very flamboyant and fluctuates her tone in the film, but also in the …show more content…
Tom’s ideals revolve around the plan of escaping his mother and moving away to become an actor. His daily escape from his overbearing mother is the movies, which is a relational caveat with Amanda. Amanda is always reminding him of his father’s faults, and how she believes he is destined to follow in his footsteps. For example, Amanda makes Tom promise to not be a “drunkard” like his dad. Tom’s wardrobe is not outlined in the script, but his apparel resembled that of a normal young man in the 1940s. His color palette consisted of materials such as brown, grey, black, and blue. This symbolizes the stagnant life that he dreads. To escape his reality in the end, Tom plans to leave town and pursue his dream, ultimately leaving his family penniless. He is incredibly unhappy at the house, and is tired of being the sole-provider for the family of three, while being constantly undermined. Tom’s characterization is fleshed out in the play by the portrayal of him as a quick fuse man, with a sensitive side for his sister; which is on display when Amanda believes the best thing for Laura is to get married, but Tom has a more realistic view and understands his sister’s disadvantages and apprehension. Tom tells his mother, “she’s terribly shy and lives in a world of her own and those things make her seem a little peculiar to people outside the house” (Williams 767). Tom takes on the role of Laura’s protector from