In The Drama, The Glass Menagerie (1945), Tennessee Williams Reflects

In the drama, The Glass Menagerie (1945), Tennessee Williams reflects upon personal experiences he and his family encountered during the Depression of the 1930s. As a lower class family, the characters are placed in the slums of St. Louis in 1935. The protagonist, Tom Wingfield, is the narrator and Williams surrogate. Living with his mother and sister, Tom supports them by working in a shoe manufacturing warehouse. He should feel lucky to have this job; however, he despises his work and dreams of leaving to become a Merchant Marine. Unhappy with what life has dealt him, Tom strives for adventure and longs to turn his back on his responsibilities. His mother, Amanda Wingfield, abandoned by her husband almost sixteen years ago, tries to keep her family together through tough times. Although her love and hopes for her children are sincere, her overbearing and outspoken nature often hurts them. Laura, Toms sister, suffers from neuroses. She has trouble separating fantasy from reality. Without the ability to function in the outside world, Laura becomes a liability to both Tom and Amanda. The gentleman caller, Jim OConnor, is a friend of Toms from the warehouse. He is an ambitious young man, who strives for the American Dream through hard work and optimism. Jim offers the Wingfields hope for the future: Tom: He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. But since I have a poets weakness for symbols, I am using this character also as a symbol; he is the long- delayed but always expected something that we live for (23). Williams gives the reader many emblems throughout the play; there are three of them are especially interesting. The unicorn symbolizes Lauras uniqueness, the picture of Mr. Wingfield represents his strong influence on his deserted family, and Malvolios coffin trick signifies Toms suffocating lifestyle. The unicorn is a symbolic representation of ways that Laura is unique or unusual. The first facet of the unicorn, its horn, refers to ways that Laura is an unusual person, such as in her may escape mechanisms. Lauras escape devices include her glass menagerie, listening to records on the Victrola, and visiting the park and zoo. Laura identifies with her glass menagerie because she has trouble identifying with the real world, the pieces are small and delicate, just as she is. The Victrola is a reminder of Mr. Wingfield; Laura often plays records to avoid the present and thinks pleasantly about the times she had with her father. When Laura stopped going to Rubicams Business College, she would spend many of her days at the zoo or park. She was a nature lover and thought of these places as very peaceful and beautiful, a sharp contrast to her real life. The fragility of the unicorn, its second part, recalls Lauras delicate psychological condition. Lauras emotional problems caused many difficulties in her life. While in high school, Laura was very self-conscious about the brace she had to wear, as evidenced in the following passage: Laura: I had that brace on my leg -- it clumped so loud! Jim: I never heard any clumping. Laura: To me it sounded like -- thunder! Jim: Well, well, well, I never even noticed. Laura: And everybody was seated before I came in. I had to walk in front of all those people. My seat was in the back row. I had to go clumping all the way up the aisle with everyone watching! Jim: You shouldnt have been self-conscious. Laura: I know, but I was (93). Laura suffered all the way through high school. Unfortunately, she scored poorly on her final examinations and dropped out of school. After such a failure, her fragile self-esteem dropped from low to almost non-existent, and she could not face going back. Six years later, with pressure from her mother, Laura took another stab at education. She enrolled at Rubicams Business College. However, Laura only made it to the first test. As the test began, she vomited on the floor and had to be carried to the bathroom. Laura never returned to school, and once again her fragile emotions got the best of her. The transparency of the unicorn, its final facet, represents the fact that Lauras problems are easily

PROBLEM SOLVING essays

PROBLEM SOLVING essays Like most people I have problems, but like some of those people running away from the problem is not an option. Sometimes thinking of a solution thoroughly isnt always the first thing on my mind. Thinking back on my past problems I found that sometimes thinking of a solution thoroughly was the only thing on my mind On September 18, 2000 I started to take a psychology course provided by the BMCC-College Now program. On Monday October 8, 2000 I went on a job interview at Citigate Dewe Rogerson. On Tuesday October 9, 2000 I was given the opportunity to play girls softball for my school. On Wednesday October 10, 2000 I got a phone call asking me when would be available to start at the prestigious company. My reply was right away. Thats where the conflict began. I decided to set my priorities straight and categorize my options from most to least important. The job came first only because I really needed the money. Next came the college course because its free and Ive already invested my time into it. Finally came softball something I always wanted to do, but just never had the time. I narrowed it down to discontinue either softball or the college course. I then arranged every possible solution with every possible consequence. If I stop taking the college course then Ill get a full advantage of year round practice before the actual games begin. If I continue the college course I have the chance of going to college with a couple of credits. After some thought I discussed my dilema over with my cousin and he sort of shed some light on my situation. He reminded me that I was a senior and that this year should be one that I would want to remember for a long time. He told me that I would never get the opportunity to have another senior year in which I can play softball in highschool. Eureka! Taking consideration to what my cousin said I decided to continue taking the college course meanw...

How does industrialisation AND ITS consequences make a middle class Essay

How does industrialisation AND ITS consequences make a middle class visible in the first half of the 19th century - Essay Example started in Britain and depending on the speed of knowledge transfer in that age and time, it soon spread throughout the world in some shape or the other. Within a few decades, the socioeconomic system that was based on manual labour was to be replaced by a culture which was dominated by industry and manufactured goods (Hobsbawm, 1999). Hobsbawm (1999) suggests that the revolution started with the changes to the textile industries which were the first to start using machines. The creation of the machines themselves was based on the refinements in how iron was produced that allowed the creation of new tools and equipment. At the same time, other elements required for improved communications, delivery of goods and transport were more or less in place which helped to expand the trade between cities as well as countries. Waterways, improved conditions of roads and the presence of railways all helped in making sure that goods as well as people could move from one location to another without significant investments of time and money. Additionally, Mr. Watt had understood the genie contained in steam power and had unleashed it by 1760. Although earlier designs also existed he is credited with creating the first working steam engine which allowed machines to work much faster, better and at an untiring pace as compared to human effort. Steam power was also added to boats, ships and other means of transport but the effect it had on the workshops and industrial plants was the greatest in terms of how it would change the fabric of society (Wikipedia, 2007). The coming of The Enlightenment provided an established system which accepted the real business related applications of the growing body of scientific knowledge that had been accumulated by Britain. In fact, the development and perfection of the steam engine can be considered only a small part of it since the process of the Industrial Revolution was guided by scientific analysis and the development new political as well