The Glass Menagerie And The American Dream - 2217 Words

The Glass Menagerie and the American Dream The idea of the American Dream is a common theme in many pieces of literature based in the early 20th century. Tennessee Williams’ play, The Glass Menagerie, takes on this idea in its own way. The American Dream can mean different things to every individual, but everyone is striving for one things: success. For some, that could mean financial stability, whereas others just want a family or to give their family a better life. The characters in the play, Tom, Laura, and Amanda, each have a different idea of what their American Dream is, but do not necessarily take the correct path to achieve it. By using stage lighting, illusions, flashbacks, and symbols, Tennessee Williams dives deep into the minds and dreams of these characters, while also depicting an accurate representation of the 20th century American Dream. The play takes place in the memory of Tom Wingfield, as he recalls the events in St. Louis in 1937. The Great Depression is in full effect and Tom must work in a show warehouse to support his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura, since Mr. Wingfield left the family years before. This was not uncommon for this time. In the Encyclopedia of the Great Depression, Dennis Bryson explains, â€Å"Children of impoverished families, recalling memories of family life during the 1930s, often remembered their fathers as emotionally distant and indifferent. Some unemployed men took up drinking. Others went off on long trips, looking forShow MoreRelated Illusion of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie756 Words   |  4 Pages The American Dream is what all Americans strive to achieve. It is the illusion of prosperity and happiness. The American Dream consists of three different elements, money, sex, and power. The plays â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† are about families who strive to achieve the American Dream. These plays are a lot alike and they have more similarities than differences. In America, money can get you many places in society. In both plays, money plays an essential element. In â€Å"TheRead MoreTennessee Williams – The Glass Menagerie – Jim as a Representative of the American Dream and the Ideology of Optimism and Progressivism2306 Words   |  10 PagesTennessee Williams – The Glass Menagerie Jim as a Representative of the American Dream and the Ideology of Optimism and Progressivism â€Å"He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. . . . he is the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.† (Williams 5) – Jims first introduction by Tom as a narrator is a crucial one, as it points to the ambiguity of Jims character. For theRead More Essay on the Symbolism of the Menagerie in The Glass Menagerie1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Symbolism of the Menagerie in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚   Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, describes three separate characters, their dreams, and the harsh realities they face in a modern world.   The Glass Menagerie exposes the lost dreams of a southern family and their desperate struggle to escape reality. Williams use of symbols adds depth to the play. The glass menagerie itself is a symbol Williams uses to represent the broken lives of Amanda, Laura and Tom Wingfield andRead MoreA Comparison of Tennessee Williams ´ The Glass Menagerie and Arthur Miller ´s Death of a Salesman1158 Words   |  5 Pages The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are two of the twentieth century’s best-known plays. The differences and similarities between both of the plays are hidden in their historical and social contexts. 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It is shown through the use of symbols and characters.    I haveRead More Essay on Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie1196 Words   |  5 PagesStagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stagnant Lives of Blanche DuBois and Amanda Wingfield  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of Williams significant characters are pathetic victims--of time, of their own passions, of immutable circumstance (Gantz 110). This assessment of Tennessee Williams plays proves true when one looks closely at the characters of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. Their lives run closely parallel to one anotherRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams1534 Words   |  7 PagesThe Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Tennessee Williams, born Thomas Lanier Williams, wrote The Glass Menagerie, a play which premiered in Chicago in 1944. This award winning play, autobiographical in nature, represented a time in which Williams felt the obligation of his responsibilities in regards to the care of his family. Robert DiYanni, Adjunct Professor of Humanities at New York University, rated it as, â€Å"One of his best-loved plays...a portrayal of loneliness among characters who confuseRead More Essay on the Use of Symbols, Tensions, and Irony in The Glass Menagerie891 Words   |  4 PagesUse of Symbols, Tensions, and Irony in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, is a perfect example of how Williams incorporates symbols, tensions, and irony to help express the central theme of the play.      Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most dominant symbols in the play is the fire escape.   It represents something different for each of the characters.   Tom uses the fire escape to escape from his cramped apartment and nagging mother.   Therefore, the fire escape symbolizesRead MoreSymbolism In The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams858 Words   |  4 Pagesaffected his work especially in The Glass Menagerie. Williams’s homosexuality made him be seen as an outcast in American society. Not to mention that homosexuality was not as widely accepted as it is today. The writing style of Williams creates a unique and great story. Tennessee Williams utilizes symbolism to express his themes throughout The Glass Menagerie. There are many events in Tennessee Williams’s early life that is similar to the details in The Glass Menagerie. Williams had a bad relationship