"THE GLASS MENAGERIE"   Term Paper ID:18798 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: & [A Streetcar Named Desire] (Tennessee Williams). Compares fantasy worlds of Laura & Blanche as they evade harsh realities.... More...

8 Pages / 1800 Words 9 sources, 20 Citations, MLA Format $32.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: & [A Streetcar Named Desire] (Tennessee Williams). Compares fantasy worlds of Laura & Blanche as they evade harsh realities. Paper Introduction: This paper will compare and contrast the fantasy worlds in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire. In The Glass Menagerie, Laura is an extremely shy girl who must wear a brace on her leg. Her demanding and insensitive mother wants her to get married as soon as possible. However, Laura's insecurities and shyness make it difficult for her to function in the real world. When she is rejected in romance by Jim, her childhood idol, Laura retreats into a world of fantasy. In A Streetcar Named Desire, the character Blanche experiences a number of personal losses. Her first husband shoots himself when she refuses to accept his affair with a man. Later, many of her older relatives die, and she loses the family fortune as well as her country home. When she comes to her sister's home for refuge, Blanche has become almost anti-social with her drinking Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. In this way, Jim "has broken not only her unicorn but alsoher heart" (Falk 51). According to Braun in Plays and Players, "Amanda Wingfield livesin a dream world of gracious living in an impossible past of elegance witha constant stream of eligible beaux and an unattainable future of idealisedsuccess for her children" (29). In The GlassMenagerie, Laura is an extremely shy girl who must wear a brace on her leg. Blanche'sfinal retreat into fantasy is triggered by the brutality of her brother-in-law, Stanley. It is partially because her mother pushes herso hard that Laura has withdrawn into her own world of.fantasy. Thus, Laura and Blanche are similar in many ways. She has no choicebut to retreat totally into illusion" (Corrigan 392). Because of these things, Vlasopolos hasclaimed that "throughout the play Blanche's displacement isolates her"(327). Amanda's fantasy world stems from a variety of factors,including her strict morality, her delusion that seventeen gentlemen calledon her in a single afternoon, and her refusal to recognize the seriousnessof Laura's shyness and her self-consciousness about the brace on her leg(Falk 48). Tennessee Williams. It is possible that Laura would eventually be ableto meet someone in her own way; however, her mother is so anxious for herto catch a man as soon as possible that she pushes her in that directionbefore she is really ready. Amanda Wingfield wants her daughter to meet a nice man and getmarried despite the fact that Laura is extremely shy and has difficulty ingetting to know people. Because sheis unable to handle reality in a normal way, Blanche develops an illusionof herself as a "Southern belle" even though she has actually become "alonely woman, desperately seeking human contact, indulging 'brutal desire'as an affirmation of life" (Corrigan 392). In fact, these comparisons began to be made almostimmediately after the first production of A Streetcar Named Desire wasstaged in 1947. For example, in the October 22, 1949 issue of the NewStatesman, it was written: "In [The Glass Menagerie] the heroine lived ina world of illusion, and she became as remote from life and as fragile as her ownglass animals . She is clearly out of place in hersister's home, and she is unable to maintain good social relations withStanley, Mitch, or her sister. WhenStanley tears the lantern off, the stage directions state that Blanche"cries out as if the lantern was herself" (Williams, Streetcar 14 ). This is the eventwhich causes Blanche's final breakdown into fantasy. In her own way, Amanda is aware of the extremely frail condition ofher daughter. Boston: Twayne, 1978.Parker, R. Throughout her stayin his home, Blanche is subjected to Stanley's hostility and brutality.This situation culminates in the rape scene in which: "Stanley strips awayBlanche's illusions and forces her to face animal reality. Like Laura, Blanche is veryfragile and prone to withdraw from reality. These failures in life have causedLaura to increasingly withdraw into her own fantasy world. She tells Jim: "I'll just imagine he had an operation.The horn was removed to make him feel less -freakish!" (Williams, Menagerie1 4). However, although bothLaura and Blanche experience similar situations, they can be contrasted interms of the specific details in their lives which lead to that situation.For example, Laura's withdrawal is triggered by her leg-brace, herdisappointment with Jim, and the demands of her mother. Now, through coincidence, Jim has become her date for theevening, and a potential suitor in accordance with Amanda's plan. 2nd ed. These include, for example, her frequent baths as well as thesubjective music which only she can hear (Corrigan 388). London: Methuen, 1985.Braun, Eric. The extent of Blanche's problemcan be seen, for example, in her seductive behavior with the young man whocomes to collect the bill for the newspaper delivery (Williams, Streetcar82-84). The central characters in both The Glass Menagerie and A StreetcarNamed Desire are fragile women who are unable to face the severity of thereal world. However, he pities Laura because she remains trapped in thefantasy worlds of both herself and her mother. The Glass Menagerie. In addition, likeLaura, Blanche's frail condition is symbolized by light. She points out thatLaura became sick with fright when she enrolled her in business college.She also notes that Laura was unable to talk to other people when she wasforced to join a local church group. Like Laura in The Glass Menagerie,Blanche loses touch with reality after an encounter with an aggressive man. Works CitedArnott, Catherine M. As noted by Falk,Laura's leg and her shyness, combined with her sensitivity toward the clashbetween Tom and her mother, causes her to "retreat into a world of dreams"(49). New York: New Directions, 1945.Williams, Tennessee. Tennessee Williams on File. In Blanche'scase, she is unable to handle the harsh glare of uncovered light bulbs,thus symbolizing her inability to deal with the harsh light of reality.This symbol is expressed in the final scene of the play in which Stanleytears off the paper lantern which had been shielding a light bulb. The origins of Blanche's isolation and retreat from reality arefound in the suicide of her young husband. 1976): 385-396.Falk, Signi. When she is rejected in romance by Jim,her childhood idol, Laura retreats into a world of fantasy. It isinteresting to compare this with Laura's wounded cry when her brotheraccidentally breaks one of her glass figures. Theunicorn is particularly a symbol for Laura, because its single horn makesit different from the other horses on the shelf. "The Glass Menagerie." Plays and Players 27 (Jan. Therefore, Amanda realizesthat Laura's shyness and introversion are the sources of her problem indealing with other people. When she comes to hersister's home for refuge, Blanche has become almost anti-social with herdrinking and her promiscuousness. Because Blanche's withdrawal into fantasy is soextreme, she must be sent to an asylum at the end of the play. 1985): 517-534.Vlasopolos, Anca. Furthermore, just as Jim represented Laura's last hope for ahealthy love relationship in The Glass Menagerie, Mitch represents asimilar last hope for Blanche. However, the tone of this passage shows that Laura's unicorn has notreally become just like the other horses; rather, he has been forced tochange on a superficial level just as Amanda wants her daughter to do so.The unicorn cannot really fit in with the other horses any more than Lauracan fit into the reality which surrounds her. Parker in Modern Dramahas noted that both light and glass are "symbols for Laura herself, who isdescribed as resembling 'transparent glass touched with light'" (531). In Scene Four, during a discussion with Tom, Amandacomplains about the difficulties she has had in getting Laura to meet otherpeople in general, much less a potential husband. As noted by Corrigan, "Blancheis as delicate and pathetic as a paper lantern; she cannot deflect the hardlight of Stanley's vision of reality" (39 ). "Realism and Theatricalism in A Streetcar Named Desire." Modern Drama XIX (Dec. Both are unableto handle the reality of their lives. It isevident that Jim is, at first, seen as an idealized romantic hero forLaura. ." (Williams, Streetcar 96).Following her husband's suicide, Blanche experiences a series of otherlosses which further reduce her ability to deal with reality. Both The GlassMenagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire are excellent works with greatdramatic appeal. . From the beginning of the play, Blanche is obviously on thebrink of her own fantasy world. Nevertheless, in both cases, the central characters react tothe frustrations of their lives by retreating into a world of fantasy. Blanche's retreat,on the other hand, is triggered by her various losses, her disappointmentwith Mitch, and the brutal demands of Stanley. Blanche's withdrawal is expressed inthe form of degenerate behavior; particularly drinking and sexualpromiscuity. In thisregard, it is interesting to note that Amanda herself lives in a world ofher own delusion. In this regard, Stanley symbolically represents thatpart of reality which Blanche is unable to deal with. Many critics have compared the characters Laura and Blanche as beingvictims of delusion. However, Laura's insecurities and shyness make it difficult forher to function in the real world. Just as the glass figures in The Glass Menagerieserve as symbols for Laura's fragility, there are certain symbols in AStreetcar Named Desire which likewise mirror Blanche's retreat fromreality. Laura had a crushon Jim during high school, although she never had the nerve to talk to himface to face. Her demanding and insensitive mother wants her to get married as soon aspossible. In the end, Laura gives thebroken unicorn to Jim as a souvenir, thus symbolizing her final retreatinto a world of fantasy. Laura not only suffers under the bondage of her mother, but also thatof her crippled leg. In the last scene of the play, Tomhas managed to escape from his mother's domination by becoming a merchantmarine. In A StreetcarNamed Desire, the character Blanche experiences a number of personallosses. "Authorizing History: Victimization in A Streetcar Named Desire." Theatre Journal 38 (Oct. At the same time, however, the two characters differ from oneanother. Jim's contrast to Laura is emphasized in thescene in which he accidentally breaks her beloved glass unicorn. In Scene Six, a drunken Blanchetells Mitch that she feels responsible for her husband's death and claimsthat "then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turnedoff again and never for one moment since has there been any light that'sstronger than this - kitchen - candle . Blanche Du Bois is an ill-fated member of the samefamily" (Arnott 26). 198 ): 29- 31.Boxill, Roger. R. However, in sharp contrast to Laura's fragile introversion, Jim isa brash, outgoing extrovert. Just as she makes demands on her daughter, Amanda also makesdemands on her son Tom. Laura's final collapse into fantasy is caused by a building up ofmany factors in her life; however, it is set off once and for all by Jim'srejection of her. Later, in the December 1976 edition of Modern Drama,Corrigan noted that "when the audience meets Blanche, she is at the samestage as Laura of The Glass Menagerie; one more of life's frustratingdisappointments is enough to insure her final retreat from the world" (385-386). In doing so, hedemonstrates that reality is as brutal as she feared. London: Macmillan, 1987.Corrigan, Mary Ann. . In Blanche's case, the final hold on reality is lost when her brother-in-law, Stanley, rapes her. B. Although both deal with the same fantasy world theme, thespecific treatment of that theme makes each play unique and exciting in itsown right. In fact,Corrigan has noted that "the conflict between Blanche and Stanley is anexternalization of the conflict that goes on within Blanche betweenillusion and reality" (392). When the horn is brokenoff, Laura claims that it doesn't matter and that now he is just like allthe other horses. Her first husband shoots himself when she refuses to accept hisaffair with a man. Because she is so impressionable, Laura issubject to the world of delusion just as her mother is. This is an important scenebecause it shows that Tom, like Jim and Amanda, is responsible in his ownway for the final downfall of Laura. 1986): 322-338.Williams, Tennessee. Thefact that Tennessee Williams was able to treat such similar themes withsuch great variety is a sign of his talent as a playwright. Tennessee Williams. In addition, at the start of theirrespective plays, both are on the brink of a final breakdown into the worldof fantasy. . The central conflict which causes Blanche's final retreat intofantasy is that which exists between herself and Stanley. This paper will compare and contrast the fantasy worlds in TennesseeWilliams' The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire. With thesound of shattering glass, the stage directions call for Laura to cry out"as if wounded" (Williams, Menagerie 42). Jim, Tom's workmate who becomes Laura's gentleman caller for anevening, has a profound effect on Laura's fragile world. It is apparent that the glass figures which Lauracollects serve as a symbol for her fragility. Later, many of her older relatives die, and she losesthe family fortune as well as her country home. Thus, "having beenraped by the man of the house in which she sought refuge, her mindunhinges, and she is removed for an indeterminate future to a publicasylum" (Boxill 78). Thus, it canbe seen that Amanda's world of fantasy is related to her clinging to thepast while at the same time trying to manipulate the lives of both Lauraand Tom. A Streetcar Named Desire. B. In addition, both Laura and Blanche have their final downfallas a result of overbearing men in their,lives. New York: Signet, 1947.----------------------- 1 However, she goes about trying to solve thatproblem in the wrong way. For example, whereas Blanche is driven to despair by her ownpersonal desires, Laura is driven by the desires of her mother, Amanda. Amanda believes that if Laura simply meets theright man and gets married that it will somehow make everything all right.However, Laura's problem is much deeper than that. Laura's withdrawal fromreality is expressed through shyness. Like Jim in his treatment of Laura in TheGlass Menagerie, Stanley is a brash, outgoing man who is insensitive toBlanche's fragility. According toAmanda, "now all she does is fool with those pieces of glass and play thoseworn-out records" (Williams, Menagerie 53). In particular, she is opposed to his carefreelifestyle; whereas Tom himself only wants to break free from the emotionaltrap which has been created by his mother's domineering ways. Life's frustrations have made her into a very fragileand impressionable girl. Thisscene is followed by Jim telling Laura that he is already engaged toanother girl. In this context, it is important to note that Tomalso accidentally breaks one of Laura's glass figures in an earlier scene.During an argument with Amanda, Tom throws his coat across the room and itlands against the shelf where Laura keeps her glass animals. "The Circle Closed: A Psychological Reading of The Glass Menagerie and The Two Person Play." Modern Drama XXVIII (Dec. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche also becomesemotionally fragile as a result of various factors in her life. Because Amanda is onlyconcerned with solving things on a superficial level, Laura is forced to goon suffering in the fragile world of her own making. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.