Autobiographic works do not only help understand the author’s writing better but also do it credibly and convincingly. The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams, in which he recollects life challenges his family had to face. This paper aims to prove that the social environment, rather than Amanda’s actions, caused the narrator’s family’s misfortune. Firstly, Amanda wanted to secure her children’s happy future in the flawed world. Secondly, the conservative society depicted in the play did not accept Laura and Tom, who are dreamers by nature. Finally, they were deprived of any opportunity to express their personalities. Therefore, distorted social values are the main cause of the family’s struggle.
To support this idea, it is necessary to say that Amanda’s nagging nature results from significant social changes and reflects her willingness to help Laura and Tom integrate into society. Tabatabaei and Sarab describe Amanda as coming from “a more or less ancient generation” and understanding the changes society had to undergo (95). Being more experienced, she often recollects the time of her youth and sincerely wants to help her children achieve similar success in the modern world (Tabatabaei and Sarab 95). “I know so well what becomes of unmarried women who aren’t prepared to occupy a position,” she says to Laura, implying that marriage would help her achieve stability (Williams 13). She also tries to make Tom more realistic about his future career and life in general. Trying to convince her children to find their place in society, she acts in a dominating way (Tabatabaei and Sarab 94). Even though her interference often caused disagreements in the family, she acted with good intentions. It is fair to say that she does not fully understand her children and accept that they can be different from society. However, the depressive reality made this woman an overprotective mother who sacrifices her hopes for the happy future of her family.
Another reason for the family’s struggles is that society’s standards and changed values do not give the characters, especially Laura, an opportunity to become their part. For example, Laura’s personality does not correspond to the image of a successful young lady of that time. Being shy and frightened of the outside world, Laura also has a limp; this slight physical defect makes her even more insecure. “She lives in a world of her own,” says Tom about his sister, referring to her collection of glass ornaments (Williams 18). They both are dreamers, different from everybody else; their uniqueness makes them outsiders in the world of standard social roles and behaviors. The only person, who could understand Laura and her fragile nature, was Jim; the young woman opens to this person, as she feels his support (Tabatabaei and Sarab 94). This contrast proves that conservative society did not accept people like Laura and Tom. Laura’s insecurity and Tom’s inability to fit in society are the results of the changed social expectations.
The last evidence is that the characters live in a repressive social environment with no opportunities for self-expression and personality growth. Tom’s disappointment and frustration brightly demonstrate this idea. This young man had to work in a warehouse to support his family, although he hated this job. At the same time, his principles and hopes were different from those dictated by society: he wrote poetry and dreamt about adventures, which made him similar to his father. Amanda’s attempts to make him follow the old-fashioned principles of the “normal” life led him to escape from reality by going to the movies and eventually leaving the family. Amanda calls him a “selfish dreamer,” although his decision is driven not by his selfishness (Williams 51). The demanding character of Tom’s mother influenced his decision to leave. However, his dedication to art and desire to develop his intelligence and talent were the primary causes of his escape (Tabatabaei and Sarab 94). Therefore, Tom’s frustration is associated with the lack of hopes and opportunities in a depressive society of that time rather than with Amanda’s influence.
Therefore, although Amanda’s ambitions led to multiple disagreements with her children, her actions can be explained by the pressure of the social environment and cannot be considered the only reason for the family’s struggles. Since she witnessed the changes society had to undergo, she tries to help her children achieve both social and financial success. Moreover, Tom and Laura do not fit into society with no place for creativity and sensitivity. Finally, in the setting of the play, an individual’s success, wealth, and social status are more important than other traits, such as talent and intelligence. It is fair to say that Amanda’s overprotectiveness and insistence worsened their struggles. However, Williams shows that society had a major effect on the life of the whole family, and their inability to correspond to its standards and express themselves is the main reason for their unhappiness.
Works Cited
Tabatabaei, Omid, and Maryam Mohammadi Sarab. “The Psychological Perception of the Glass Menagerie from Author’s Perspective: Critical Perception and View.” Journal of Applied Studies in Language, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, pp. 90-96.
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. Heinemann, 1996.