Name : Astrid Widya Natasha

NPM : 180410110210
Subject : Further Studies in Drama (Response)

Short Essay of Williams The Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie is play written by Tennessee William in 1944. It only
has five characters that are related to each other consisting of a mother, Amanda
Wingfield who has been abandoned by her husband, Tom Wingfield as a narrator
of the play, Laura Wingfield as a sister of Tom and Jim OConnor who in the end
leads Laura to a situation that is very sorrowful. This play has a first person point
of view which makes the play is controlled by the narrator who is also one of the
characters.
Amanda, as a mother, concerns about finding a partner to her daughter
Laura who has a feeling of inferiority that has isolated her from the outside
world. In the end, there is Jim who is willing to be a good company to Laura
though he already has been engaged to his current girlfriend. Jim, as in the
beginning of the play Tom has describe, is a man that knows what no one knows
that he is engaged. His being flirtatious to Laura is a sign that he finds an
enjoyment in her as in the last part of the play he kisses her. However, in the end,
he feels sorry about the kiss and tells Laura the truth. Though Laura and Jim have
different memories of they were in school, Jim tries to convince Laura that she,
unlike the other girl, is beautiful and unique. His motivation somehow becomes a
desire for Laura to seek the true beauty about herself.
In the end, there is an act where Jim breaks one of Lauras glass
collections, which is the glass of unicorn. The glass unicorn that is broken is a
symbol for Laura as it is unique yet fragile. The broken unicorn that she gives to
Jim later shows her feeling to him, which is although he has break her heart she
still loves him anyway. The setting where they both dance before the kissing
part, which is the apartment of Wingfields family is also a symbol of dream.
There, in the apartment, her mother, Amanda finds the feeling of coming back to
her girlhood and Laura also experiences her feeling to Jim that reflects in her
glass unicorn.
The very last part Tom gives the final speech, which somehow shows a
barrier between him and her mother and sister. The setting of the scene, which is
in the apartment also strengthening the feeling of trapped that Tom has. He also
shows the guilt by leaving her mother and sister that he cannot stand it. The
decision that he choose between take the responsibility to take care of his family
or to live his own life has become a nightmare that the audience perhaps could
never forget.