Tennessee Williams – The Glass Menagerie – Jim as a Representative of the American Dream and the Ideology of Optimism and Progressivism
Tennessee Williams – The Glass Menagerie
Jim as a Representative of the American Dream and the
Ideology of Optimism and Progressivism
“He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. . . . he is the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.” (Williams 5) – Jim's first introduction by Tom as a narrator is a crucial one, as it points to the ambiguity of Jim's character. For the Wingfield family the young gentleman caller seems to be the symbolization of the American Dream and a way to overcome their own incapacities. But considering the external circumstances during the early decades of the 20th century and the further course of the gentleman caller's visit, his success is questionable. Nevertheless, while the play continues, Jim manages to influence each member of the Wingfield family – varying in degree and duration though. This essay will cover a short summary of the history of the American Dream, along with its basic features. Additionally, it will give a overview of the historical background in which the play is set. Jim's belief in progress and optimism will be analyzed as well as its different effects on Amanda, Laura and Tom by contemplating their individual interpretations of the American Dream and their attitudes towards progress and technology. Finally, the failure of each character – including Jim's – becomes inevitable and demonstrates that the gentleman caller's incidence was only the souvenir of a vanished myth: a tiny spark, unable to light their faces again.
When being asked about the typical and most-influencing American ideology, many people will as likely as not name the American Dream, the idea of being able to rise “from rags to riches”. This myth reaches far back in American history, beginning with the first colonialists and the Puritans' beliefs in competition and materialistic success. Later, the time of the
Jim as a Representative of the American Dream and the
Ideology of Optimism and Progressivism
“He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. . . . he is the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.” (Williams 5) – Jim's first introduction by Tom as a narrator is a crucial one, as it points to the ambiguity of Jim's character. For the Wingfield family the young gentleman caller seems to be the symbolization of the American Dream and a way to overcome their own incapacities. But considering the external circumstances during the early decades of the 20th century and the further course of the gentleman caller's visit, his success is questionable. Nevertheless, while the play continues, Jim manages to influence each member of the Wingfield family – varying in degree and duration though. This essay will cover a short summary of the history of the American Dream, along with its basic features. Additionally, it will give a overview of the historical background in which the play is set. Jim's belief in progress and optimism will be analyzed as well as its different effects on Amanda, Laura and Tom by contemplating their individual interpretations of the American Dream and their attitudes towards progress and technology. Finally, the failure of each character – including Jim's – becomes inevitable and demonstrates that the gentleman caller's incidence was only the souvenir of a vanished myth: a tiny spark, unable to light their faces again.
When being asked about the typical and most-influencing American ideology, many people will as likely as not name the American Dream, the idea of being able to rise “from rags to riches”. This myth reaches far back in American history, beginning with the first colonialists and the Puritans' beliefs in competition and materialistic success. Later, the time of the
Cited: Baier, Jochen. The Long-Delayed but Always Expected Something: Der American Dream in den Dramen von Tennessee Williams. Trier: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, 2001. Boxill, Roger. Tennessee Williams. London: Macmillan, 1987. Stein, Roger B. “The Glass Menagerie Revisited: Catastrophe without Violence.” Tennessee Williams: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Stephen S. Stanton. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1977. 36-44. Weales, Gerald. “The Outsider in The Glass Menagerie.” Readings on The Glass Menagerie. Ed. Thomas Siebold. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998. 101-07. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. Introd. Robert Bray. New York: New Directions, 1999.