Family In The Glass Menagerie

While reading the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the reader quickly learns of a, sadly, typical tale of family strife. In this play a family struggles to find the way out of their secluded, seemingly solitary life. Amanda Wingfield, the mother of Tom and Laura, only craves for the best for her kids. However, this ostensibly adoring mother puts Toms needs at the bottom of list. As a family without a father figure Tom, being the only boy, steps up to help his mother and sister. Striving to live up to his father’s memory, Tom helps by paying for the rent while putting his personal goals on hold. The Wingfield family goes through much trouble and strife portraying the sad truth of what goes on in the everyday family and home. Every
Tom’s mother is clearly the matriarch, however, Tom is the one who brings home the rent. This situation causes a sort of power struggle between Tom and his mother. Feeling trapped Tom continues at his dead end job at the warehouse. When Amanda tells Tom that he “might jeopardize his job” Tom responds by explaining how he would “rather somebody picked up a crow bar and battered out my brains (scene 3).” Tom hates his job and wants to write poetry but he is stuck providing for his family. This causes tensions to arise, as Tom is very dissatisfied with his life at this moment. Amanda also tells Tom to “overcome his selfishness” to help his sister even though Tom is paying the rent (scene 5). Amanda is a loving mother but she clearly puts the needs of Laura before then needs of anyone else in the family. Amanda also try’s to stop Tom from leaving by mentioning how he is leaving “an unmarried sister who’s crippled and has no job (scene 7).” This shows how his family relies on Tom due to the fact that his sister can get anything right. Not only is Tom responsible to bring home the money, his sister that is two years older can not get her life together and is slowly causing the downfall of this family as a