Eswar Anandapadmanaban

Block 6

La Literature 3

Escapism in The Glass Menagerie

Tennessee williams presents various themes in his play, The Glass Menagerie. The overarching theme throughout the play is that of escape. All of the characters feel this need to escape and move away from their present situation. This idea is personified through the repeated presence of the fire-escape which reminds the audience of the need need to escape. Additionally, various quotes represent this theme, throughout each scene. Three quotes have been selected for discussion here because of their depth and value. The ideas that Williams presents stand out even after the play is finished because these words linger with the audience.

Tom is the first character for discussion. He has an obvious need for adventure as evident in his frequent departures to the movies. He despises staying at home and leaves at every opportunity possible. The movies are his form of escapism albeit the fact that they do not take him anywhere. He has to return home after a few hours anyways. Tom sees his father as the ultimate symbol of escape and references him in his outburst against Amanda. The most obvious notion that Tom makes showing he wishes to escape is his visit to the magician. The magician performs a evasive trick and Tom says to Laura, You know it dont take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail? To Tom, this nailed up coffin is his monotonous life, monochromatic factory life, and supercilious mother. Tom is surrounded with no escape. When Tom expresses surprise that the magician got out without removing one nail. Tom is hinting that escape has occurred in the past, but always with unwanted consequences. Tom might be referring to the consequences of his father leaving Amanda and her two children. This quote exemplifies Tom's wish to escape despite his knowledge of the difficulties. The reader is able to get a look into Tom's mind and thoughts because we see Tom contemplating leaving. Yet, we know that he is troubled by the outcomes of such a departure.

Amanda is personified as a fickle character who is always forcing her children to obey her will. This forbearance is a result of her need to escape. Amanda is still coping with the loss of her husband and the audience sees this in her sensitivity to the emotions of her children. Her anger is only an output for her escape. Amanda wishes to return to the past and makes wishes on the moon for success and happiness. The key quote that represents Amanda's reminiscence for her past is:

Well, in the South we had so many servants. Gone, gone, gone. All vestige of gracious

living! Gone completely! I wasnt prepared for what the future brought me. All of my

gentlemen callers were sons of planters and so of course I assumed that I would be

married to one and raise my family on a large piece of land with plenty of servants. But

man proposesand woman accepts the proposal! To vary that old, old saying a bitI

married no planter! I married a man who worked for the telephone company! . . . A

telephone man whofell in love with long-distance!

This quote brings Amanda's thoughts to her words and reveals the greatest amount of insight into her past. She longs for the happiness that she associates with the seventeen gentlemen callers. And thus to relive this joy, she tries to vicariously live through her daughter and urges Tom to arrange a gentleman caller. Amanda even says that all the vestige of gracious living is gone. By comparing her present gloom to her past virtues, she is expressing contempt for her present. The audience receives a biased view of Amanda through tom's eyes. This quote however capture the essence of Amanda that can safely be considered true.

The final character needy to escape is Laura. She however has actually found her escape- her collection of glass figurines. In scene 5, Tom characterizes her: "She lives in a world of her own-a world of-little glass ornaments." This comment is a direct solidification of what the audience infers. Laura does indeed live in her own world because she wishes to escape from her direct environment. Hardly does Laura speak and never does she actually intervene in any of the arguments. Perhaps she got sick of her mother or felt insecure of her disability. In any case, she longs to escape and finds it in her glass menagerie, as stated by that quotation.

The three selected quotes are crucial for understanding the theme of escapism in these three characters. Tom is a biased narrator, but these quotes give valid insight into these characters. Their thoughts and actions are expressed clearly to the audience. The theme of escapism is shown through various devices although these quotes remain with the audience long after the play is over.