Scribd
Upload
57 views10 pages

Tom's Struggle: Love, Duty, and Dreams

The document summarizes scenes 2-4 of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It describes how Amanda confronts Laura about not actually attending school. Amanda is obsessed with finding a gentleman caller for Laura. Tom works a job he hates at a factory and argues with his overbearing mother Amanda. He finds escape through movies and writing. Amanda and Tom make a deal - if Tom can find a man to marry off Laura, he can leave and pursue his dreams.

Uploaded by

api-320180050
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views10 pages

Tom's Struggle: Love, Duty, and Dreams

The document summarizes scenes 2-4 of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It describes how Amanda confronts Laura about not actually attending school. Amanda is obsessed with finding a gentleman caller for Laura. Tom works a job he hates at a factory and argues with his overbearing mother Amanda. He finds escape through movies and writing. Amanda and Tom make a deal - if Tom can find a man to marry off Laura, he can leave and pursue his dreams.

Uploaded by

api-320180050
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

The Glass Menagerie

Scenes 2, 3, 4

Scene 2
Deception? Deception?: Amanda comes home and

confronts Laura: she has found out that she is not


really going to school every day as she had pretended.
Laura became a nervous wreck at school and left in

embarrassment.

Gentleman Callers?
Amanda seems too involved in Lauras life choices

(Whatever will become of us?)


She becomes very interested in finding a man for

Laura.
Fact about Laura: approximately 24 years old (out of

high school 6 years)

Scene 3

Tom begins with address to the audience


about Amandas obsession with finding a
gentleman caller for Laura (remember the
mention of Jim in Scene 2 and Lauras
mysterious defect)

Scene 3 (cont.)

Tom is preparing to go out for the night, and


his mother interrupts his writing (Tom has
creative ambitions).
This starts an argument ending in Tom
calling his mother a witch.

Key Details

Tom goes out to the movies every night,


although his mother does not believe him
She returns one of his books to the library, a
novel by Mr. Lawrence, really D. H.
Lawrence, a controversial English writer
We learn that Tom works at the Continental
Shoemakers Factory (a job he hates)

Scene 4

Tom comes home drunk from the movies (he


really does go to see movies at night). He
and Laura talk. Laura asks him to apologize
to Amanda.
The next morning, Amanda sends Laura out
on an errand so she can talk to Tom about
Lauras unhappiness.

Scene 4 (cont.)

Tom vents his frustration with his job.


Amanda is clearly afraid he will leave.
They make a deal: Tom can leave and pursue
his own dreams if he is able to find a man to
marry his sister and provide for the family.

Analysis

Tom is caught in a life he would have never


chosen for himself. Movies (and his writing)
are escapes from this harsh reality.
His mother criticizes his selfish behavior,
wherein any pursuit of Toms is deemed
selfish

Opposing Views

Tom: Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a


fighter

The world of stories and dreams prepares


us for one kind of life

Amanda: (Instinct) belongs to animals!


Christian adults dont want it!

Reality and civilization prepare us for


another

You might also like