Student analysis of The Glass Menagerie
Student analysis of The Glass Menagerie
For the scene you have been given, explore the following elements and produce notes that can be presented in class and be shared via the blog. Quick summary of what happens in the scene and the subject of conversation a. Jim keeps Laura company while the power is out. She tells Jim that she had a crush on her in High School and watched all his shows.
Meanwhile, he talks about being nominated as “Most Likely to
Succeed” by his peers but he has not yet achieved his full potential. He studies night school in Telecommunications. Laura introduces her glass menagerie to Jim. He diagnoses her with inferiority complex because of her lack of selfconfidence. Jim encourages Laura to dance with him however, while they are dancing, they bump into the table and break Laura’s favorite animal of the collection The Unicorn. Jim then kisses Laura. However, he tells her that he is previously engaged to a girl named Betty, whom he has “strings to” and Jim therefore has to leave. Amanda gets angry at Tom for not questioning Jim’s status before he visited, calling him a “manufacturer of illusions”. Then, Tom angrily bursts out and leaves the house. He leaves to work for the
Merchant Navy and the play closes with Tom seeing a “mime” of
Amanda and Laura eating dinner together, he says goodbye to Laura, she blows out the candle and the play ends.
2. Themes
a. Love
Amanda’s desperate attempt to try and get a gentleman caller to visit. Doesn’t want Laura to end up an old maid. There exists family love between Tom and Laura, on the night he comes back from “The movies” and is drunk. Then there is genuine family love from Amanda, who despite her overbearingness on Tom, wants what’s best for him like in the scene where she places the lamp by his side as he is writing.
i. Tom: Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! (52)
b. Being Trapped (breaking away from it)
For the scene you have been given, explore the following elements and produce notes that can be presented in class and be shared via the blog. Quick summary of what happens in the scene and the subject of conversation a. Jim keeps Laura company while the power is out. She tells Jim that she had a crush on her in High School and watched all his shows.
Meanwhile, he talks about being nominated as “Most Likely to
Succeed” by his peers but he has not yet achieved his full potential. He studies night school in Telecommunications. Laura introduces her glass menagerie to Jim. He diagnoses her with inferiority complex because of her lack of selfconfidence. Jim encourages Laura to dance with him however, while they are dancing, they bump into the table and break Laura’s favorite animal of the collection The Unicorn. Jim then kisses Laura. However, he tells her that he is previously engaged to a girl named Betty, whom he has “strings to” and Jim therefore has to leave. Amanda gets angry at Tom for not questioning Jim’s status before he visited, calling him a “manufacturer of illusions”. Then, Tom angrily bursts out and leaves the house. He leaves to work for the
Merchant Navy and the play closes with Tom seeing a “mime” of
Amanda and Laura eating dinner together, he says goodbye to Laura, she blows out the candle and the play ends.
2. Themes
a. Love
Amanda’s desperate attempt to try and get a gentleman caller to visit. Doesn’t want Laura to end up an old maid. There exists family love between Tom and Laura, on the night he comes back from “The movies” and is drunk. Then there is genuine family love from Amanda, who despite her overbearingness on Tom, wants what’s best for him like in the scene where she places the lamp by his side as he is writing.
i. Tom: Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! (52)
b. Being Trapped (breaking away from it)