Essay Sample: Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie

In the drama, “The Glass Menagerie” written by Tennessee Williams, there are four characters that readers learn about and their methods of escape. The four main characters are the son Tom, Tom’s sister Laura, the mother Amanda, and Tom’s friend Jim. Each character has their own way of escaping from the real world. Every way is different, and each character has their own type of reason for needing to escape. The main characters all escaped from reality in unexpected, unique, and different ways.

Tom Wingfield is free spirited and worked in a show warehouse that he disliked. He had his own world thought up in his mentality which gave him independence in a way - his poetry, his freedom, his dreams, and his illusions. Even though he and his mother disagreed on what they valued, his conflict was between his world and reality. For a while, Tom had used movies and alcohol as an escape from his mothers inquisitions. William states, “LAURA: Where have you been all this time? TOM: I have been to the movies. LAURA: All this time at the movies?” (William, 22). Then, he realized that the two were just momentary escapes. Later on in the drama, Tom realizes that his own self was being destroyed by the things and people surrounding him. Eventually, Tom realized that his place was not at the warehouse. He had to choose to either leave his mother and sister or he had to be consumed by their worlds and thoughts. Tom decided that the best way to escape was to leave his family behind. Even though Tom left, he would never forget his life nor his family.

Laura Wingfield is a very shy and sensitive person. Automatically, readers can sense this based on her altercations with her mother, Amanda. She had a plan to attend school, but those plans were ruined as it made her seemingly sick. Laura also does not like the conflict between her brother and her mother. Throughout the drama readers learn of Laura’s slight limp, which she has allowed to affect her overall persona. In Laura's mind, she cannot seem to allow her mind to forget about the limp and she thinks everyone notices it. This blockage has caused her to shift from the real world into an illusion of her own. A glass unicorn is a major symbol for the role of Laura. Later on, Jim makes an appearance and for the first time Laura’s natural self shines through. Her individual charm is brought out by him. When the unicorn breaks, devastation renders Laura. William states, “She opens her hand again on the broken glass ornament. Then she gently takes his hand and raises it level with her own. She carefully places the unicorn in the palm of his hand, then pushes his fingers closed upon it.” (William,107-108). Readers learn that Jim has something to do with Laura’s escape. He saw through her minor disability and values her as an asset. Laura’s escape was allowing herself to let go with Jim, even if it was only momentarily.

Amanda Wingfield's world mixes between her illusion and reality.

She has many mechanisms to help her escape in her own way. She uses memories of her youth and enjoys simple, yet playful games in order to escape. She is determined to not acknowledge that Laura is crippled, and refers to it as a slight defect. William states, “ A little physical defect is what you have. Hardly noticeable even! Magnified thousands of times by imagination !” (William, 93). She refused that Tom is similar to his father in ways that he wants adventure. She wants the best for her children, but her ideas of best do not match her childrens. The difference between Amanda and her children has caused her some moments of discomfort. Amanda devotes herself to her children; she makes sure that they are handled in her way. Amanda’s escape is living in her past, her youth. Maybe some of her escape is even living through her children and trying to connect to that youthful part of her.

Jim O’Connor is an ordinary character that plays a big role in the drama. Readers first learn of Jim when Tom refers to him as a gentleman caller. Jim does not understand Tom’s illusionary desire of leaving the shoe warehouse. As a matter of fact, the ordinary is what Laura needs. Later on in the drama, readers learn that not only did Jim crush the unicorn, but he also crushed Laura’s dreams. He was so absorbed in the highschool victor idea that he did not realize what emotions he was putting Laura through. William states, “I had known Jim slightly in high school. In high school Jim was a hero.” (William, 51). Since he is so different from what Laura is used to in reality, he appears to be her savior in a way. Jim’s escape is his idea of being the hero or victor.

Overall, each character's escapes are conjured up because they need to feel their own sense of meaning and comfort. For Jim, he wanted to prove something and feel something besides just being ordinary. For Tim, he needed to get away from his family in order to actually be happy and not feel like reality was pointless. For Amanda, she needed more than reality; she needed to relive the past in ways that made her happy. For Laura, she needed an exit place, somewhere that made her feel like she was understood. Every character needed to feel like they still had meaning to live and moments of clarity throughout the reality.