Comparing 'The Glass Menagerie And Facing It'

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George Bangura
Ms. McKee
English 1102
16 April 2013
Illusion and Reality In life, things don’t always turn out like people want them to. Some people are lucky enough to have everything they need and want, whiles others wish their situations whether it be financial situations, health situations, family problems, relationships, sorrows …were different. It is therefore only natural for some people to sometimes fantasize about the things they most desire. In literary works like “The Things They Carried,” “The Glass Menagerie,” and
“Facing It,” the authors Tim O’Brien, Tennessee Williams, and Yusef Komunyakaa respectively, publicized their characters quest to change their situations. In “The Things They Carried,” the
In “Facing It,” the narrator longed to have a reconnection with his friends lost in war. The characters effort to pursue their desires by living in a world of fantasy conveyed by their thoughts and reflections, led them to constant struggles to differentiate and keep a balance between both worlds, resulting in the creation of two parallel worlds (a world of illusion in contrast to living in reality).

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Thoughts have been a significant medium through which the authors of all three literary works have demonstrated struggle between illusion and reality. In the story “The Things They
Carried,” author Tim O’Brien used the character Jimmy Cross’s thoughts to create a fantasy world. The story told of Jimmy Cross’s relationship with his friend back home Martha, with whom he communicates with on a regular basis. Furthermore, the author Tim O’Brien revealed
Jimmy Cross’s thoughts openly to the readers on his delusional thoughts towards Martha, which brought about his struggle to separate his fantasies from reality. For example, he would often retire his night wondering “if Martha was a virgin” (O’Brien 344). Other instances where he vividly described Martha from the pictures: “Her eyes were gray and neutral, her lips
According to Qun Wang, Tennessee Williams has always been known to create literary works where the characters live in a world of fantasy, and struggle from “self­deception” (Wang). To further on the topic of fantasy, in the play “The Glass
Menagerie,” the author’s use flash backs, self­deception, and illusion was mostly centered on the character Laura. According to the play, Laura was the youngest of a family of three which included her mother Amanda, and her brother Tom Wingfield. The character Laura is said to be crippled since childhood, as a result of an illness. Laura’s disability has led her to build some sought of defense mechanism where she alienates herself from the outside world and reality.
According to the play, Laura took great interest in glass animals which she has a collection of, serving as distraction and excuse for her to face the real world. These hidden emotions of insecurity and confidence surfaced when she rekindled with her old school mate Jim. Jim
O’Connor was invited to the house one evening by Laura’s brother Tom who is also