The Glass Menagerie Analysis
...ds a Business College; Amanda is hoping that a career in business would make Laura self-sufficient. Amanda discovers that Laura has stopped attending class a long time ago, she has been deceiving her by attending libraries, museums and parks during the afternoons; “You did all this to deceive me, just for the deception” Amanda confronts Laura angrily. Amanda gives up on the idea of a business career for Laura and decides that finding a husband for her would be the best solution. Tom and Amanda continue to have intense discussions concerning Laura’s future, most of these discussions end in aggravation followed by Tom angrily leaving for the evening stating, “I’m going to the movies”. These nights of movies would bring Tom’s return home full of stumbles and loudness indicating he may have had a night of alcohol, drinking causes great alarm for Amanda thinking Tom will turn out like his father. After many debates, Tom states, “Laura is very different from other girls”, but finally agrees to try to locate gentlemen callers to meet Laura. Tom asks Jim O'Connor, a fellow employee at the warehouse to join him for an evening of dinner, this good news causes Amanda to prepare the home for Laura’s first gentlemen caller. “We can’t have a gentleman caller in a pigsty”! Laura reveals she had a terrible crush back in high school on a Tom O’Connor and is horrified when she finds out this is the same person that will be joining them for dinner. Amanda helps Laura prepare for her first gentlemen caller buy making subtle suggestions about her appearance. “All pretty girls are a trap, a pretty trap, and men expect then to be”. Amanda also prepares for their dinner guest putting on a dress worn many years ago, “I wore it on Sundays for my gentlemen callers! I had it on the day I met your father”. Jim O’Connor arrives at the Wingfield apartment for dinner; Amanda greets him and begins to reminisce, acting as if she is the one receiving the gentlemen caller for the evening. Laura enters gazing at Jim, her anxiety and extreme shyness only confirms her lack of self-confidence, she becomes very ill retiring to the sofa unable to join them for dinner. During the meal, the electrical lighting suddenly goes off, Jim confirms that it is not a fuse and Amanda begins to question Tom if he has indeed paid the bill for the month. Tom had revealed to Jim previously that he had not paid the electrical debt; “I paid my dues this month, instead of the light bill”, he used his funds to enlist in the Merchant Marines, planning his departure at the end of the month. Jim and Laura are now spending time alone in the parlor when Laura reveals that they have meet previously and even sharing an exchange of a nickname of Blue Roses. Jim recalls the events remembered and he continues to praise Laura, chatting, growing increasing flirtatious eventually persuading her to dance in his arms. Unexpectedly, Jim kisses Laura leaving her in a state of shock from pleasure. The dancing ends when the couple accidentally knocks Laura’s glass unicorn off the table, her response, even though she was devastated, is calm and collective. Laura proceeds to tell Jim that the unicorn is now just a normal animal verses an abnormal species. Jim, extremely uncomfortable, does divulge the information that he is engaged to be married, the revealing of this news is time for Jim to depart for the evening; Laura is distraught. Amanda and Tom return to the parlor finding Jim making a quick departure, through intense persuasion from Amanda trying to commit to Jims return, Jim divulges his present relationship to be married soon. “Were going to be married the second Sunday in June”. Amanda is furious, and after Jim leaves, she accuses Tom of playing a cruel joke on them. Amanda...