Sympathy For Laura In Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie

In plays, writers position the audience so that we feel sympathy for some characters and not for others. The Glass Menagerie, written by Tennessee Williams is about one families struggle with each other and the society. Williams uses the characterisation of Laura, Tom and Jim to make us feel sympathy for Laura and Tom, whilst we dislike Jim.
In the Glass Menagerie, Williams positions us so that we feel sympathy for Laura. By most readers she is generally considered the main protagonist of the story or the one sympathise most with out of all the characters. She lived in a day where there was no sympathy for the disabled, any such allowances or even kindness from others.
Even her own mother did not want to admit or talk about how her daughter was disabled. When Amanda is shouting at Tom about being selfish she says “An unmarried sister, who’s crippled and has no job.” This is the only time Amanda does talk about Laura’s disability and it is insulting her.
We also feel sympathy for Laura when Jim shows his affection towards her. “Somebody-ought to-ought to-kiss you, Laura!” Right after saying this he tells Laura that he won’t be able to speak to her again as he is engaged, “I go out all the time with a girl named Betty!”
This not only makes the audience dislike Jim but also make us feel very sorry for Laura. Jim was the first man that Laura thought liked her and then he announces right after kissing her, he is engaged. Throughout the Glass Menagerie, Laura does act childish at times by leaving her typewriting course and collecting glass figurines however; I think she attains the reader’s