Main Ideas of the Glass Menagerie Play

1) Each character in the play is living as an illusion. Which means they're truly not themselves in this scene. As the play forms they break out into their characters more and more as it progresses. They're living there life as a dream when truly it's not one.

2) In the play the past haunts all of the characters. For example, Tom sees past as physical and emotional events that prevent him from living his life. As for Amanda, she's always held back by things and is always worrying about her family instead of herself. As for Laura, she has basically given up on herself because she's lost the unicorn, her family's breaking apart and can't find a man who's loyal to her.

3) The father is a fifth character because he was included in the play. In the beginning of the play, Tom gives brief descriptions of his father, helping us to realize who he really is. Each character briefly makes him present even though he's absent for so long by mentioning who he is and why he's not physically there. I think they miss him because if the father didn't leave the family, there probably wouldn't be a huge conflict between the family like this. If the father didn't leave, Tom probably wouldn't have but because of him Tom followed in his footsteps.

4) Blue Mountain is a town in which Laura and Amanda grew up in. The mountains symbolized it being hard to reach someone because of how high they were. No one being able to get to them. Amanda and Laura's relationship grew stronger everyday because of how much time they spent together.

5) Although everyone wants to escape from a different reality, they all believe to get away. In this play, the father is the most successful because he leaves the family and doesn't have to deal with any issues going on at home. As for Laura, Amanda, Tom and Jim they always never seem to move forward. Towards, the end Tom breaks free and somehow reflects off the rest of the family to move on.

 6) Tom is very fond of Laura. Even though he's very honest with Amanda about Laura he shows kindness. Tom never fails to have her back. For example, although Tom knew about Jim he kept warning her to stay away from him. When she didn't, Jim truly broke not only her unicorn but her into pieces. These were her only hopes that she'd be able to find a husband but because of Jim's engagement, he really screwed her over

7) The fire escape symbolizes the exit for the characters, escape from frustration throughout the play. The Paradise Dance Hall - it is the place across the alley. Tom describes it in the beginning of Scene 5 and it plays a huge role in Scene 7. This symbolizes the loss that Tom has experienced. The victrola symbolizes Laura's fear of reality. The records represented the music in the play which belonged to Mr. Wingfield, which helped Laura escape her reality. Amanda Talks about jonquils when she's looking back at her past. They represent what Amanda wants for Laura, but that's really not who Laura is.

8) List FIVE ‹‹descriptions Laura uses for the unicorn in Scene 7. Write the exact lines down.

9) After closely examining Scene 7, I think the unicorn symbolizes Laura's fragility. Laura's very lonely and this is her hope that there's still people in the world other than her. When Jim breaks the unicorn, she's truly broken in pieces. The unicorn is very delicate, just like her. Although, I felt she was better off without it it was really sad that such a big part of her was broken.

10) Amanda's transformation for the gentleman caller was very interesting. She always had been shy in front of people she couldn't express herself in front of. Out off his will Tom invites Jim, a man from work over, who is therefore the gentleman caller. Laura and Jim become very flirtatious that night and then begin to dance, leading Laura over to the unicorn, it falls and breaks. Jim acted very innocent until the end when he had told Laura he was engaged. He had left Laura heartbroken.

11) Jim and Laura went to school together when they were younger. Laura had gotten very sick. Jim asked her what was wrong and she told him she had Pleurosis. Jim had given her the name Blue roses because he didn't know what Pleurosis was. Ever since then he's always called her Blue roses.

12) Jim O'Connor was the perfect guy for Laura. He had a good heart and cared for her. In scene 7, things really came about when he leads her on to tell her he has to go. He leaves after kissing her and telling her he's engaged and to never call again. Laura has always had it hard but to lead someone on to tell them he was engaged, this really was a terrible disgusting move. My opinion depicted as soon as this happened. From dancing with her to kissing her just to tell her he was engaged really made my heart hurt for Laura. For me this was the biggest tragedy in the play.

13) In Tom's closing monologue when he tells Laura to blow out her candles he's asking for forgiveness. My opinion is affected when he says this because although he's having a hard time with his family, I believe that he should've just gone on and progressed his life.

14) After reading the play, I sympathize Tom the most. I felt that whenever he wanted to go forward there was always someone there to pull him right back. He never was able to move on forward in his life until he left Laura and Amanda behind.

15) I can relate to the inability to expressing myself. When I first meet someone I'm scared of what their first impression may be. I don't want them to hate me for saying or doing anything wrong. I act really shy when I'm really a totally other person with people I know. Another element I can relate to is anxiety. Whenever I forget to do something or do something wrong, I get very overwhelmed. One of my biggest fears is needles, this gives me the most anxiety by far.

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