Amanda Wingfield:
Laura and Tom's mother
, Amanda is a proud, vivacious woman who clings to memories of the past and is at the same time courageous and foolish, charming and pitiable.
Is Amanda a good mother in The Glass Menagerie?
Amanda also looks into the future, making what she calls “plans and provisions,” single-mindedly for her children. In fact, as annoying as all the nagging about keeping one's elbows off the table is,
Amanda is actually a very loving mother
. … In fact, she spends a lot of her stage directions just looking at his portrait.
Who is Amanda to Laura in The Glass Menagerie?
Amanda Wingfield, a faded Southern belle of middle age, shares a dingy St. Louis apartment with her son Tom, in his early 20s, and
his slightly older sister
, Laura. Although she is a survivor and a pragmatist, Amanda yearns for the comforts and admiration she remembers from her days as a fêted debutante.
What does Amanda represent in The Glass Menagerie?
As you read the play you will see how Amanda represents
the stress, strictness, and the self-centered nature off
Williams mother and father. Amanda is the mother figure of Tom and Laura in The Glass Menagerie. Tom works at a warehouse and provides income so the family doesn't lose their apartment.
Why does Amanda compare herself to Laura?
Thus, Amanda both uses the contrast between herself and
Laura to emphasize the glamour of her own youth and to fuel her hope of re-creating that youth through Laura
. Tom and Jim both see Laura as an exotic creature, completely and rather quaintly foreign to the rest of the world.
Is Amanda Wingfield selfish?
Despite any views people may have on it being difficult to differentiate the actions of a bad mother from those of a good mother, it was made obvious that
Amanda was a selfish mother
, putting her needs ahead of her children's.
What happened to Amanda husband in The Glass Menagerie?
Mr. Wingfield: A portrait of this man—Amanda's husband and the father of Tom and Laura—
hangs on the wall in the living room
, a constant reminder of the life they never had. … Perhaps he abandoned his family because of the often not-discussed trauma men felt after serving in the war.
Why does Jim Kiss Laura?
Why does Jim kiss Laura?
He is politely telling her good by
. Tom has paid him to do it. He is showing his contempt of Amanda and her silly ideas.
What illness did Laura suffer from as a child?
In By the Shores of Silver Lake, Laura attributes Mary's blindness to
scarlet fever
: “Mary and Carrie and baby Grace and Ma had all had scarlet fever.
What word does Amanda never allow to be used?
We don't even notice she's
crippled any
more. AMANDA: Don't say crippled ! You know that I never allow that word to be used ! The last time the word is uttered, Amanda finally admits what she really thinks of her daughter's condition.
Who is the most flawed character in Glass Menagerie?
The safest conclusion to draw is that
Amanda
is not evil but is deeply flawed. In fact, her flaws are centrally responsible for the tragedy, comedy, and theatrical flair of her character. Like her children, Amanda withdraws from reality into fantasy.
What is Laura's most prized glass animal?
Laura then ventures to show him her favorite glass animal,
a unicorn
.
Why did Laura stop going to class?
Q. Why did Laura quit business college?
A boy in the class was making passes at her and she got scared. She was nervous in class and became physically ill during her first speed test
.
Why does Laura give the unicorn to Jim?
Laura presents the broken unicorn to Jim
as a souvenir
. The figurine becomes a memory of Laura that Jim can bring with him when he leaves Laura and returns to his life, but it also signifies the normal woman that Laura will never become.
How does Amanda act towards Jim?
How does Amanda act towards Jim?
She is rude and sarcastic
. She reverts to her girlish charms and talks incessantly at him. She ignores Jim and talks at him through Laura.
Is Amanda selfish in The Glass Menagerie?
Yet Amanda's nagging of Tom and her refusal to recognize Laura's flaws indicate
her deep-rooted selfishness
. She wants the best for Tom and Laura, but her concept of the best has far more to do with her own values than with her children's interests and dreams.
