The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Several aspects of the play support the conclusion that the entire play, save Tom's final monologue, actually consists of a string of Tom's memories connected together. First and most obviously, Tom narrates the play and explicitly states that the play consists of memories. Who else could be able to identify certain instances as memories but the owner of those memories himself? Secondly, many of the stage directions during the play occur at Tom's cue, implying that Tom has some control over the scenes as he would his own memories. For instance, when Amanda recalls all of her gentlemen callers in scene one, Tom "motions for music and a spot of light on Amanda" to dramatize the event as he had seen it (Williams 1238). Other stage directions correspond to Tom's inner thoughts or personal epiphanies. In scene four, when Laura asks who could ever accomplish such a feat as escaping a nailed coffin, "the father's grinning photograph lights up," to explain what Tom thinks in reply to her question (Williams 1249). Finally, Tom's reflective monologue which concludes the production removes any doubt that the play consists of his memories. Tom thinks of Laura and how he tried to abandon all feelings of obligation in supporting her, but realizes, "I am more faithful than I intended to be!" and thus feels guilty at leaving her (Williams 1289). This guilt explains the obnoxious frequency in the play of Amanda accusing Tom of being selfish. These instances occur in Tom's memories because he still feels guilt over selfishly leaving the family altogether. However, Tom still wishes to disassociate himself with his family, and therefor urges Laura to blow out her candles and erase all memory of him so that he can truly say goodye.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The Glass Menagerie and Symbolism
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Laura's glass collection in the play symbolizes in many ways Laura's own being. The glass embodies oddity, fragility, and beauty simultaneously. Laura, too, behaves peculiarly, lacks self-confidence, and yet exudes a unique "unearthly" beauty all the while (Williams 1271). Furthermore, Laura acknowledges this symbolism when she indirectly identifies herself with the glass collection. In speaking to Jim O' Connor about her figurines, Laura employs anthropomorphism to ascribe human feelings, her own feelings, to the glass figurines. She says, "Put him [unicorn] on the table. They all like a change of scenery once in a while!" (Williams 1281). Previously in the play, Laura walked around many different places and enjoyed the changes in scenery instead of going to school. Moreover, when Jim leaves the Wingfield family, Laura utilizes the glass figurines to give Jim something of herself. Before he departs to pick up Betty, Laura places the unicorn piece Jim broke in his hand and closes his fingers around it. That unique glass piece represents Laura and its being broken represents the significant affect Jim had on Laura. Accordingly, Laura gives Jim the unicorn so that he will remember her and their evening together.
Laura's glass collection in the play symbolizes in many ways Laura's own being. The glass embodies oddity, fragility, and beauty simultaneously. Laura, too, behaves peculiarly, lacks self-confidence, and yet exudes a unique "unearthly" beauty all the while (Williams 1271). Furthermore, Laura acknowledges this symbolism when she indirectly identifies herself with the glass collection. In speaking to Jim O' Connor about her figurines, Laura employs anthropomorphism to ascribe human feelings, her own feelings, to the glass figurines. She says, "Put him [unicorn] on the table. They all like a change of scenery once in a while!" (Williams 1281). Previously in the play, Laura walked around many different places and enjoyed the changes in scenery instead of going to school. Moreover, when Jim leaves the Wingfield family, Laura utilizes the glass figurines to give Jim something of herself. Before he departs to pick up Betty, Laura places the unicorn piece Jim broke in his hand and closes his fingers around it. That unique glass piece represents Laura and its being broken represents the significant affect Jim had on Laura. Accordingly, Laura gives Jim the unicorn so that he will remember her and their evening together.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Like Father, Like Son: Foreshadowing
The Glass Menagerie by Tennesse Williams
An abundance of foreshadowing indicates that Tom will most likely follow in his father's footsteps and leave his mother and sister. First, Amanda constantly warns Tom of becoming like his father, but treats him as if he has already succumbed to his father's selfish tendencies. In reality, Tom cares for the family selflessly, and yet Amanda commands of him, "Overcome selfishness! Self, self, self is all you ever think of!" (Williams 1254). Thus, inadvertently, Amanda drives Tom toward becoming like his father. Additionally, Tom somewhat marvels at how his father "got himself out of one [coffin] without removing one nail," after he attends a magician's act (Williams 1249). The coffin Tom refers to is the suffocating atmosphere of the Wingfield family that hinders dreams and leads to argument, while the nails are the family members themselves. Tom hopes to escape his own personal family coffin without removing, or hurting, one of his family members. In doing so, Tom would emulate his father's actions. Lastly, Tom proves in scene four that all promises he makes to his mother, even those about staying with the family, have no merit behind them. He does this when he agrees at his mother's request to never be a drunkard. In a fit of dramatic irony, Tom makes a baseless promise as he knows that just the other night he had gone out and drowned his sorrows in alcohol. If Tom so easily makes faulty promises to his mother about something so simple as alcohol, how can the audience trust that he will maintain his promised fidelity to family? Certainly, by the end of the play, Tom will abandon the Wingfield family as his father did.
An abundance of foreshadowing indicates that Tom will most likely follow in his father's footsteps and leave his mother and sister. First, Amanda constantly warns Tom of becoming like his father, but treats him as if he has already succumbed to his father's selfish tendencies. In reality, Tom cares for the family selflessly, and yet Amanda commands of him, "Overcome selfishness! Self, self, self is all you ever think of!" (Williams 1254). Thus, inadvertently, Amanda drives Tom toward becoming like his father. Additionally, Tom somewhat marvels at how his father "got himself out of one [coffin] without removing one nail," after he attends a magician's act (Williams 1249). The coffin Tom refers to is the suffocating atmosphere of the Wingfield family that hinders dreams and leads to argument, while the nails are the family members themselves. Tom hopes to escape his own personal family coffin without removing, or hurting, one of his family members. In doing so, Tom would emulate his father's actions. Lastly, Tom proves in scene four that all promises he makes to his mother, even those about staying with the family, have no merit behind them. He does this when he agrees at his mother's request to never be a drunkard. In a fit of dramatic irony, Tom makes a baseless promise as he knows that just the other night he had gone out and drowned his sorrows in alcohol. If Tom so easily makes faulty promises to his mother about something so simple as alcohol, how can the audience trust that he will maintain his promised fidelity to family? Certainly, by the end of the play, Tom will abandon the Wingfield family as his father did.
Effects of an Absentee Father
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
While The Glass Menagerie only has four official characters, a fifth character, Mr. Wingfield, plays a critical role in characterization and the production of conflict. In the first scene, Amanda, with a tinge of resentment, reveals to the audience that Mr. Wingfield has long sense abandoned the family and left her alone to raise their children. This abandonment profoundly affects Amanda, disposing her to paranoia and obsession. Accordingly, in the third scene, Amanda acts upon her paranoia. After interrogating Tom about where he goes at night, Amanda replies, dissatisfied with Tom's answer, "I don't believe that you go every night to the movies," (Williams 1246). The paranoia resulting from Mr. Wingfield's departure has forced Amanda to distrust her son. Furthermore, responding to such paranoia, Tom becomes enraged and verbally attacks his mother with hurtful names and overly sarcastic rants. Thus, Mr. Wingfield, even though not physically present in the play, influences the work strongly. Without his actions, Amanda and Tom could have been two completely different characters rather than their paranoid and emotionally reactive selves. Also, Wingfield's abandonment indirectly drives the external conflict between Amanda and Tom. Finally, had Mr. Wingfield remained with his family, almost all conflict in the play would not exist, except for Laura's need for a gentleman caller. However, that need would be lessened as Amanda would not obsess over Laura's future as much knowing that she had a provider, her father, to support her in times of need.
While The Glass Menagerie only has four official characters, a fifth character, Mr. Wingfield, plays a critical role in characterization and the production of conflict. In the first scene, Amanda, with a tinge of resentment, reveals to the audience that Mr. Wingfield has long sense abandoned the family and left her alone to raise their children. This abandonment profoundly affects Amanda, disposing her to paranoia and obsession. Accordingly, in the third scene, Amanda acts upon her paranoia. After interrogating Tom about where he goes at night, Amanda replies, dissatisfied with Tom's answer, "I don't believe that you go every night to the movies," (Williams 1246). The paranoia resulting from Mr. Wingfield's departure has forced Amanda to distrust her son. Furthermore, responding to such paranoia, Tom becomes enraged and verbally attacks his mother with hurtful names and overly sarcastic rants. Thus, Mr. Wingfield, even though not physically present in the play, influences the work strongly. Without his actions, Amanda and Tom could have been two completely different characters rather than their paranoid and emotionally reactive selves. Also, Wingfield's abandonment indirectly drives the external conflict between Amanda and Tom. Finally, had Mr. Wingfield remained with his family, almost all conflict in the play would not exist, except for Laura's need for a gentleman caller. However, that need would be lessened as Amanda would not obsess over Laura's future as much knowing that she had a provider, her father, to support her in times of need.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Cold Father, Warm Love
"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden
With "Those Winter Sundays", Hayden describes a seemingly cold relationship between a father and son, at least from the child's perspective. Accordingly, cold imagery pervades the poem. The father dresses "in the blueblack cold"; the son heard "the cold splintering" at his father's efforts; eventually, the father "had driven out the cold" from the house (Hayden 782). Such frequent implementation of the word "cold" emphasizes the child's perspective of his father as a distant, emotionally hardened man. Operating under this mindset rather than analyzing everything his father was doing for him, the boy never offered any word of gratitude. Even worse, the boy spoke "indifferently to him", showing that in addition to his failure to appreciate his father's attempts at keeping him warm, he did not care about his father at all (Hayden 782). The boy could not appreciate the warmth behind his father's coldness. He got up early to drive cold out of their home so that the boy could live comfortably. The stress of doing so produced "chronic angers" in the father that put off the boy (Hayden 781). However, in the final lines of the poem, the boy, most likely a man now, perceives the love in his father's actions. He laments at his misbehavior, asking, "What did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?" (Hayden 782).
With "Those Winter Sundays", Hayden describes a seemingly cold relationship between a father and son, at least from the child's perspective. Accordingly, cold imagery pervades the poem. The father dresses "in the blueblack cold"; the son heard "the cold splintering" at his father's efforts; eventually, the father "had driven out the cold" from the house (Hayden 782). Such frequent implementation of the word "cold" emphasizes the child's perspective of his father as a distant, emotionally hardened man. Operating under this mindset rather than analyzing everything his father was doing for him, the boy never offered any word of gratitude. Even worse, the boy spoke "indifferently to him", showing that in addition to his failure to appreciate his father's attempts at keeping him warm, he did not care about his father at all (Hayden 782). The boy could not appreciate the warmth behind his father's coldness. He got up early to drive cold out of their home so that the boy could live comfortably. The stress of doing so produced "chronic angers" in the father that put off the boy (Hayden 781). However, in the final lines of the poem, the boy, most likely a man now, perceives the love in his father's actions. He laments at his misbehavior, asking, "What did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?" (Hayden 782).
Patricide in the First Degree
"Edward" by Anonymous
"Edward" describes a deranged man murdering his father after being advised by his mother. Edward did not wish to kill his father. This much can be seen in the first two stanzas when his mother asks why his sword is bloodied, and Edward states, "I have killed my hawk so good, and I had no more but he," and, "I have killed my red-roan steed, that once was so fair and free," (Anonymous 977). Edward compares his father to a precious hawk and a fair, free steed to emphasize his self-disgust at having killed a man he cared for very much. Edward also inveighs against his mother for convincing him to kill his father. This verbal assault, showing what Edward has done and why, manifests at the two most climactic points in the poem: stanzas three and seven. In stanza three, Edward reveals explicitly, "I have killed my father dear, alas, and woe is me," (Anonymous 978). This first climax in the poem solidifies the image of Edward as penitent and distraught over his mother's commanded actions. The second climax displays Edward's inner rage. In the seventh stanza, speaking to his mother, Edward says, "The curse of hell from me shall ye bear, such counsels you gave to me," (Anonymous 978). The counsels he speaks of are his mother's homicidal urgings, the motivation behind Edward's horrendous act. For these counsels, Edward damns his mother to hell, distancing himself completely from her and the evil he has committed.
"Edward" describes a deranged man murdering his father after being advised by his mother. Edward did not wish to kill his father. This much can be seen in the first two stanzas when his mother asks why his sword is bloodied, and Edward states, "I have killed my hawk so good, and I had no more but he," and, "I have killed my red-roan steed, that once was so fair and free," (Anonymous 977). Edward compares his father to a precious hawk and a fair, free steed to emphasize his self-disgust at having killed a man he cared for very much. Edward also inveighs against his mother for convincing him to kill his father. This verbal assault, showing what Edward has done and why, manifests at the two most climactic points in the poem: stanzas three and seven. In stanza three, Edward reveals explicitly, "I have killed my father dear, alas, and woe is me," (Anonymous 978). This first climax in the poem solidifies the image of Edward as penitent and distraught over his mother's commanded actions. The second climax displays Edward's inner rage. In the seventh stanza, speaking to his mother, Edward says, "The curse of hell from me shall ye bear, such counsels you gave to me," (Anonymous 978). The counsels he speaks of are his mother's homicidal urgings, the motivation behind Edward's horrendous act. For these counsels, Edward damns his mother to hell, distancing himself completely from her and the evil he has committed.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Like Father, Like Son
"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor
In "The Drunkard", Father is a hard working, caring parent of two boys that saves money diligently in order to get ahead in life. However, Father's hubris, his alcoholism, drains any excess income he makes and prevents him from achieving his goals. Therefore, when Mr. Dooley, Father's good friend, dies, Mother becomes concerned because she knows Dooley's funeral will give Father ample opportunity to embrace his vice. Accordingly, she sends her son, Larry, with Father to ensure his hubris does not consume him. As one could expect, Father and Larry end up at a pub following Dooley's funeral. When Father has his back turned, Larry downs his glass of porter out of curiosity and the humor begins. Utilizing stream of consciousness, O'Connor displays the deterioration of Larry's sobriety with phrases like, "I felt pleasantly philosophic," which transform into, "I found it hard to put back the glass, the counter seemed to have grown so high," (O'Connor 347). Realizing his son's inebriation, Father guides Larry out of the pub and toward home. Once home, Father endures Mother's invective against him for allowing Larry to reach his current state. However, Mother actually feels pride and affection for what her son has done. Inadvertently, Larry prevented Father from succumbing to his hubris by consuming the alcohol first. Thus, Larry did just what Mother intended him to do. Quite humorously, Mother describes Larry as Father's "guardian angel" (O'Connor 351). How fitting that a drunkard's guardian angel protects him by drinking his booze!
In "The Drunkard", Father is a hard working, caring parent of two boys that saves money diligently in order to get ahead in life. However, Father's hubris, his alcoholism, drains any excess income he makes and prevents him from achieving his goals. Therefore, when Mr. Dooley, Father's good friend, dies, Mother becomes concerned because she knows Dooley's funeral will give Father ample opportunity to embrace his vice. Accordingly, she sends her son, Larry, with Father to ensure his hubris does not consume him. As one could expect, Father and Larry end up at a pub following Dooley's funeral. When Father has his back turned, Larry downs his glass of porter out of curiosity and the humor begins. Utilizing stream of consciousness, O'Connor displays the deterioration of Larry's sobriety with phrases like, "I felt pleasantly philosophic," which transform into, "I found it hard to put back the glass, the counter seemed to have grown so high," (O'Connor 347). Realizing his son's inebriation, Father guides Larry out of the pub and toward home. Once home, Father endures Mother's invective against him for allowing Larry to reach his current state. However, Mother actually feels pride and affection for what her son has done. Inadvertently, Larry prevented Father from succumbing to his hubris by consuming the alcohol first. Thus, Larry did just what Mother intended him to do. Quite humorously, Mother describes Larry as Father's "guardian angel" (O'Connor 351). How fitting that a drunkard's guardian angel protects him by drinking his booze!
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