Laura is presented as
an extremely shy and sensitive person
. Her shyness is emphasized even more by being contrasted with Amanda's forceful and almost brutal nature. We are made aware almost immediately of Laura's overly sensitive nature. … The limp then becomes symbolic of Laura's inner nature.
How does the Glass Menagerie symbolize Laura?
The title of the play, and the play's most prominent symbol, the glass menagerie represents
Laura's fragility, otherworldliness, and tragic beauty
. The collection embodies Laura's imaginative world, her haven from society.
Is there a connection between Laura and her glass menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mother, and his mentally fragile sister Laura.
How would you describe the character of Laura?
Laura is
romantic, impulsive, self-centered, shallow, emotional, and deludes herself
. As a typical example of a middle-class person, she put her needs, whims, and desires first.
What does Laura look like in The Glass Menagerie?
Laura is deeply fragile, both emotionally and physically: she is painfully shy, and a childhood illness has left one leg slightly shorter than the other, making her walk with a limp. … Both Tom and Jim see Laura as like
a blue rose
, exotic and frail in her rarity.
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 happens to Laura at the end of The Glass Menagerie?
The intimacy is broken and Laura is left hopeless
. Likewise, when Tom tells Laura to “blow out your candles,Laura–and so goodbye,” he, too, breaks the intimacy that they once had, rupturing the past. When Laura does blow out the candles, Tom takes his release from her as the play ends.
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.
Why did Laura quit school?
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.
How are Amanda and Laura different in The Glass Menagerie?
Amanda has an outward focus on life, using her children;
Laura is more internal, quiet, and pensive
, and she understands Tom much more than does Amanda. Laura is meek and unassuming. She speaks in short one-line responses for most of the play, which serve as a counterpoint to Amanda's ramblings.
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.
What illness did Laura suffer from as a child?
Laura Wingfield: Amanda's daughter and Tom's older sister, Laura suffers the results of a
childhood illness
which left one of her legs malformed and in a brace.
Who is the most important character in The Glass Menagerie?
Tom Wingfield
is the protagonist or main character in the play, he is also the narrator. “The protagonist of a literary work is the main character, who must change in some way during the course of the events, even if the change is entirely internal. Tom is clearly the protagonist of The Glass Menagerie.
How does Amanda make extra money?
Amanda tries (obviously without much success, considering the family's difficult economic circumstances) to
sell magazine subscriptions over the telephone
to earn income.
What does Amanda Want in The Glass Menagerie?
She wants
only the best for her children
, but then she fails to understand that what they most want is quite different from what she wants for them.
What did Mr Wingfield leave behind?
Wingfield has left behind,
the vitrola
and the records remind both the audience and the characters in the play of his existence. Based on the impact Mr. Wingfield has on the Tom, Amanda and Tom, we can deduce that he plays an important role in the play.
