Tom Wingfield Character Analysis in The Glass Menagerie

“The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams is a memory play. One of the main characters, Tom Wingfield is related to two of the other character as he is the brother to Laura and son to Amanda. Through most of the play Tom displays a range of negative emotions from denial to discontent. This discontent comes from Toms being the sole provider for the entire household in the absence of his father. While the characters have a lot of their own issues this is a look at Tom Wingfield.

A unique aspect of Tom is that he is both in the play as well as the narrator. Tom as the narrator reminisces through the play, this tells the audience that the whole play is in Tom’s past. Tom is constantly in an unhappy mood all the time, and so he goes out all the time as to not be at home with his family who add on to his unhappiness. Since Tom is the sole provider for the family, he is forced into a job he does not want just to provide. With Toms lack of freedom in the workplace and having an overbearing mother Tom finds a way to regain some freedom. This freedom that Tom has found is the movies which brings him into conflict with his mother who criticizes him “Amanda: Nobody goes to the movies night after night. Nobody in their right minds goes to the movies as often as you pretend to. People don’t go to the movies at nearly midnight, and movies don’t let out at two A.M.” (Williams).

Tom has big dreams of adventure and of becoming someone noteworthy. He also has aspirations of creating literary works, which writing makes him happy. That is in direct contrast of his current employment as minimum wage in a shoe warehouse doing mindless tasks. Tom is always in opposition to Amanda due to his free-spirited behavior, and Amanda being domineering. To which makes Tom idolize his father in the fact he was able to leave and pursue his dream. Tom also contradicting blames his mother for the actions of his father, but he does not entirely know why his father left.

Marriage and separation are not things that children understand fully. In Toms case he creates this idealized version of his father that may not be true. Since Toms mother is left to raise both children naturally, she wants them to well for themselves. However, she goes about it the wrong way and controls tries to control Tom too much. With the lack of choice Tom is presented he yearns to be free and given the opportunity he will be.

Work Cited

Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=dWNwcy5rMTIubmMudXN8cG93ZWxsLXMtZW5nbGlzaC1jbGFzc3xneDoxMWZiYWE2MTB1Nz1jMDZ1. Accessed 15 September 2021.