Book/Play Review: Tennessee Williams’ "The Glass Menagerie" (1944)

Anthony Ross ,  Laurette Taylor ,  Eddie Dowling  and  Julie Haydon  in the Broadway production of  The Glass Menagerie  (1945) - From NYPL Digital Collections

The Dysfunctional Family and Destruction of Hope in The Glass Menagerie

 

Introduction: The American Dream and Great Depression

After the first world war, America enjoyed the rising capitalism with many new developments in industry and technology. The Roaring Twenties started off the engine of the American dream, where people of all classes enjoyed materialistic prosperity (Sternheimer 21). In 1931, James Truslow Adams defined “American Dream” in his book The Epic of America:

[L]ife should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement … It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. (214-5)

The idea of the American dream was not only about having an economically secure life, but also living an abundant one.

 

The Great Depression came in the 30s, and there were great impacts on the working and middle-class families in the United States, disorganizing the traditional concepts of family roles. Families responded differently depending on their ethnic, racial, or regional backgrounds, but all underwent psychological stress. With the drop of income and job losses, men could not adequately fulfill their roles as breadwinners, having to rely on their wives and children or apply for relief, causing humiliation. Because divorcing was costly, there were a lot of cases where male heads deserted their families; a survey in 1940 showed that “1.5 million women were abandoned by their husbands” (Emery 1246).

 

The Great Depression also changed the meaning of success for many Americans. Charles R. Hearn in The American Dream in the Great Depression, explains that “the dream of success and happiness became an end in itself, a fantasy which freed the individual from reality instead of infusing him with the energy and ambition needed to cope with it” (78). Although the dream of success was not entirely given up, it rather became a way to escape from reality. Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie shows this reality of the Great Depression through Tom’s words: “Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them” (Williams 495-6). The play reflects the impact the Great Depression had on the American families. Through the family dynamics in the play, Williams depicts a dysfunctional family that reflects America trying to use different means to escape from reality during the Great Depression.

 

The Dysfunctional Family

1.     Mr. Wingfield’s Absence and Presence

Tom’s father leaves the family and abandons the traditional breadwinner role. He and his voice is nonexistent and absent in the play; the postcard he sent the family only has two words: “Hello – Goodbye!” (Williams 479). He’s only a piece of memory within Jim and is a vague existence for the Wingfield family; yet he holds a big presence, just like his “blown up photograph” in the livingroom (Williams 478).

 

On the surface, the father’s damage to the family seems to only come from his absence, but his departure has actually left them poverty and suffocation. Without her husband’s provisions, Amanda has no choice but to nag her children because she worries for their futures; Tom needs to work in place of his father for the family; and Laura can only become independent by getting married and with “a home of her own” (Williams 488). The problems of the Wingfields seem to revolve around this absent father.

 

But more importantly, the lack of the father gives the family members a detrimental effect, as they try to fill in the missing person by themselves. The father’s relics are seen around the house, to which the characters have attached themselves. Amanda who cherishes clothes, tries to grasp her husband by wearing the old, large bathrobe of Mr. Wingfield. The father’s smiling portrait reminds Tom of his confinement and the happiness that follows freedom. Laura always winds up the Victrola for her inner security, playing the records of her father’s which is an act of “a painful reminder” of her father (Williams 482). The family members unconsciously attach themselves to the missing person and want to fill in his space and voice.

 

But even when Mr. Wingfield was present, it is inferred that he has not been the modal father. Amanda connects Tom’s bad behavior to drinking whenever he goes out at night and reprimands him (Williams 484). She constantly fears that Tom will follow his father’s ways, making him promise not to “be a drunkard” (Williams 487). Because of Mr. Wingfield’s alcoholism, she firmly believes this is what is causing the family issues. She makes sure Laura’s potential husband does not drink, and she states “Old maids are better off than wives of drunkards” (Williams 490).

 

Mr. Wingfield becomes the generator of the issues of the family; he breaks the structure of the traditional nuclear family. Both Mr. Wingfield’s absence and presence causes the family psychological issues. The absence takes away the children’s self-concept, physical and emotional security as the family wants to find their identity through the father who is not there. On the other hand, his existence has also created problems, for the home of the children of alcoholics becomes a “habit cage,” where old patterns have become fixed and social and emotional disengagement commonly found (Ackerman 22).

 

2.     The Effect of the Absence

Amanda is a character that provides comic elements in the play through her unrealistic and outrageous statements. She seesthings in her created illusion and experiences as a Southern Belle. Maintaining the family without her husband has led her to take on the role of both mother and father, making her overprotective; she babies her children, nagging Tom with trivial matters: “Eat food leisurely, son… chew your food”; “Put your wool muffler on!” (Williams 479, 488). Her language is also condescending: “Laura Wingfield, you march right to that door!” (Williams 495). She gets into their small businesses, watching their every actions and behavior.

 

As a mother, Amanda also fails to see what her children desire and instead exerts control over them, shaping them the way she wants. She fails to acknowledge her children, such as Tom’s interest in movies and writing or Laura’s shyness and handicapped leg. She does not understand Tom’s love of adventures, and becomes disappointed when she learns Laura dropped out of school. She is discouraged when her children cannot reach her expectations and hard effort: “Fifty dollars' tuition, all of our plans - my hopes and ambitions for you - just gone up the spout, just gone up the spout like that"; “My devotion has made me a witch and so I make myself hateful to my children!” (Williams 481, 486). She tries so hard to prevent Tom from becoming like his father, yet wants Laura to become more like her. She even interferes with their appearances, as she “attacks [Tom’s] hair with the brush” (Williams 490) and dresses up Laura the way she wants before Jim comes.

 

Because of the parents’ flaws, Tom and Laura are both the outcomes of the dysfunctional family; the absent father and overprotective mother has left both somewhat mature but also very childish, making them very ambivalent characters. Tom being the male of the family, earns money in place of his father, but fights continually with his mother and rebels. In his rage, he calls his mother an “ugly, babbling old witch” and acts violently, unable to control his anger (Williams 485). Being a dreamer, he escapes his reality through movies, unable to see his situation. Unlike Jim who sets realistic goals to move on with his life, Tom’s dreams are vague while he just longs for adventure and freedom. Despite his mother’s beliefs that he should make sacrifices for the family, his dreams a come first than his duties. He eventually follows his father’s footsteps, who has also rejected his responsibilities. There are many suggestions that make Tom very similar to his father. Even though his mother hates drinking, Tom does drink: “the unsteadiness of his advance make it evident that he has been drinking” (Williams 485).

 

Laura, on the other hand, seems to be the opposite of Tom in the way she reacts to Amanda, but she is also very childish as she is unable to endure the expectations of society. She is mature in becoming the peacemaker of the family, acting as a bridge to reconcile Amanda and Tom when they argue. But because of her shy personality, she seems more afraid of the commotions. She tries hard to please her mother like a child and feels guilty for disappointing her: “Seeing her mother’s expression, Laura touches her lips with a nervous gesture” (Williams 480). She even spends every day for six weeks to pretend she’s not skipping her classes to avoid trouble for her mother. She is also very dependent, not knowing what she truly wants: “What shall I wish for, Mother?” (Williams 492). Unable to cope with reality, she withdraws herself to own world of fantasies and has stopped maturing since high school, as her insecurities of that time still haunt her.

 

Amanda, Tom, and Laura are all victims of Mr. Wingfield’s leaving. To endure her situation, Amanda becomes numb by reliving her memories of the past and deliberately makes herself blind to the problems of her children. Tom is very angry at his situation and his mother, and he struggles to keep the volatile relationship with her steady. Laura has trouble expressing her feelings because she keeps herself closed most of the times. The three characters are emotionally crippled from their environment, unable to express themselves in a healthy way.

 

The Lost American Dream and New Hope

Each family member has his or her own method of retreating to the securities and comfort zones; for Amanda, it’s reminiscing her aristocratic life; for Tom, it’s going to the movies and wishing to leave the family; and for Laura, it’s spending time with her glass menageries and the Victrola.

 

The family reflects the American society, trying to cope with the Great Depression. Mr. Wingfield, smiling with his “doughboy’s First World War cap,” symbolizes the success of the first war that is nowhere to be seen anymore along with Mr. Wingfield’s disappearance (Williams 478). Amanda exemplifies America recalling the good days during the antebellum times and stubbornly believing that fortune will eventually come through effort. Tom represents the country wanting to escape from the situation and Laura shows the fragile American society defending itself to prevent further damage.

 

When Jim comes into the scene like a redemptive character, however, it seems he is the answer to the family’s problems; he could almost replace Mr. Wingfield’s absent space. Jim’s arrival gets Amanda to return to the past as she dresses up in her old dress and speaks in a thick Southern accent; Jim is the only character that acknowledges Tom’s love of writing by calling him “Shakespeare” and becomes the key in helping Tom leave if he does marry Laura; and Jim makes Laura forget about her crippled leg temporarily as he dances with her and makes her open up to him.

 

Accordingly, Jim is considered “the most realistic character in this play,” according to Tom, and he appears to be clever in what he is doing and ambitious (Williams 478). He is taking classes in public speaking and radio engineering and believes speaking well gives one “social poise,” which would help with “being able to square up to people and hold [one’s] own on any social level” (Williams 495). When he has a chat with Laura, he talks about the fortune made by the person who invented the chewing gum and the future of America. While giving his signature to Laura, he guarantees his future success and says his signature will “increase in value” (Williams 500).

 

The things Jim says are sayings one can hear about the American dream: “Ask yourself what is the difference between you an’ me and men in the office down front? Brains? – No! – Ability – No!... Primarily it amounts to – social poise!” (Williams 495). He is all for equal opportunities and is willing to catch one. He resonates what he has heard in his classes and brings his beliefs to the home of the Wingfields, advocating the developing industry: “Knowledge – Zzzzzp! Money – Zzzzzzp! Power! That’s the cycle democracy is built on!” (Williams 501-2).

 

However, Jim is not such a transparent character, as his actions do not fit with his words. He is also a someone trying to overcome his past success to his current situation. He used to be very popular and well off back in high school, but currently he works at the warehouse with Tom. He also admits that he used to have the inferiority complex too. He leads on Laura and speaks in promises, making Laura believe that he can help her with her inner issues: “I’d teach you to have some confidence in yourself… Somebody needs to build your confidence up and make you proud instead of shy and turning away and – blushing” (Williams 503). He even ends up kissing Laura because he gets caught up in the mood of the environment. Jim is a character who uses words with depth to evoke feelings from people – a skill he has learned from his public speaking course.

 

When Laura and Amanda find out that Jim has a fiancée, the hope of the characters are shattered and their instable comfort zones are torn apart. The American dream has also left them. Amanda, who never wanted to admit Laura being a cripple, finally comes to reality and lets her stifled emotions burst at Tom who is leaving: “Don’t think about us, a mother deserted, an unmarried sister who’s crippled and has no job!” (Williams 506). Laura, who comes out of her box for the first time, gives up her precious unicorn to Jim that looks like a sign of broken love. And although Tom leaves physically, he is unable to escape from his memories, still haunted by the guilt of parting with his sister.

 

However, Williams does leave unending hope for the family. Although Amanda gives her children a hard time, she is a sympathetic character whose love for her children explains her actions. She is also a victim of her husband’s leaving, and she does not want to face further breaking ups within the family. She believes the family needs to “do all that [they] can to build [themselves] up. In these trying times [they] live in, all that [they] have to cling to is – each other” (Williams 487). Her ultimate goal is providing the best for her children, showing she truly loves them.

 

Laura also becomes a small light of hope for the Wingfields. The glass unicorn that is unique from all the other glass animals finally becomes “just like all the other horses” while Jim and Laura dance. She admits that “[g]lass breaks so easily. No matter how careful you are,” which is a complete different attitude she had of the glass menagerie before. Her obsession with the glass collection subsides through Jim. She learns to accept herself and her crippled self, saying “[t]he horn was removed to make him feel less – freakish,” identifying with the unicorn that has learned to fit in with the other horses. Laura not only sees herself as someone that can fit in, but as special, like “Blue Roses” (Williams 503). She gets shocked when she learns of Jim’s fiancée; she “bites her lip which was trembling and then bravely smiles” (Williams 504). Weakly but firmly, she is able to face Jim and her broken hopes. She takes the courage to give him the broken unicorn as a souvenir.

 

The ending scene displays hope for the characters, as Laura’s act of blowing out the candles at the end shows her saying goodbyes to her insecurities. She is finally trying to face her reality and part with Tom who used to be her protector. The last scene with the mother and daughter comforting each other is Williams showing that what is left, but also triumphed, is the love between the family members.  

 

Conclusion

The family dynamics of the Wingfields of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie reflect the broken American dream of the disorganized American families during the Great Depression and the unsuccessful efforts made by the society in trying to escape the depressing situation like the characters. The fragile society at that time shows the American dream was mere illusion and a concept, not a reality. Williams, however, does not end the play on a tragic light; maybe it is because this play reflects his life experience so much, that he tries to place a tint of hope that comes from the characters.

 

 

 

Ackerman, Robert J. Children of Alcoholics: A Guidebook for Educators, Therapists, and Parents. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications, 1983. Print.

Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. Boston: Little Brown, 1931. Print.

Emery, Robert E., ed. Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2013. Print.

Hearn, Charles R. The American Dream in the Great Depression. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1978. Print.

Sternheimer, Karen. Celebrity Culture and the American Dream: Stardom and Social Mobility. New York, NY: Routledge, 2015. Print.

Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama: Selected Plays From 1879 to the Present. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. 470-506. Print.