Here are the guidelines:
- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 250 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
- From the "Comment As" drop-down menu, choose Anonymous, then click "Publish."
- Reading responses are due by midnight on Sundays, no exception.
Olivera Kuzovac and Jelena Pralas both discuss how the plays of Tennessee Williams have become massively known for their use of repetition. They further state the purpose of the repetition and it's ties to human emotion. Even in real-life, I believe this is the case. Our emotions dictate the way we think and the things we say. At first, I was a little questionable as to if it's realistic that characters like Amanda would frequently refer to certain things. Having seen many human struggles (as well as having gone through many myself), I've learned that it's just human nature. When under stress, we repeat ourselves. That's only because we see some things as a source of comfort or security. In certain cases, we can repeat things for the purpose of using them as crutches. It would honestly be much more unrealistic if the characters here were portrayed as completely rationale.While we wish everyone we knew was a rationale person with multiple levels of thought, that's typically not the case.
ReplyDeleteIn the context of "The Glass Menagerie," Amanda is meant to be the source of a lot of the play's repetition. Two things that stuck out to me in particular was the frequent use of "gentleman's callers" and several references to the children's fathers. Amanda seems to dwell so much on potential husbands for Laura and the possibility of Tom turning out exactly like his father. In a way, it seems like these are the only things that she even cares or thinks about. This again can directly relate to human nature. While humans are complex in their emotions, there are times where they dwell greatly on specific things. They have several likes and dislikes, but there comes a period where they'll obsess over one thing due to the circumstances. Amanda may seem one-dimensional at first, but she can be very three-dimensional when looked at much closer.
Michael McCormick
The Glass Menagerie was probably one of my favorite plays so far. It was a dreary nihilistic romp focused on three quirky characters, like a proto- napoleon dynamite, but better. The dreamlike state of every character leads them into conflict with each other, no one truly understands any of the people around them. Tariq’s paper on this play focuses on the American Dream, mentioning Death of a Salesman. Having read Death of a Salesman beforehand, I can see the parallels clearly. This pursuit of the American Dream, that anyone can be successful if they put their mind to it, makes this hollow home ring with instability. A mother trapped in the past, hoping to gain a second chance with her daughter. A son that hopes to escape the binds of responsibility. A daughter fearful of failure that surrounds herself with a fragile fantasy. A suitor that squandered “being well liked” but hopeful for his future. The saddest of these of course being Laura, who simply suffers existence. I found the sudden blossoming of romance between her and Jim oddly fortunate and ill fitting the story. The twist of his engagement made a ton of sense and shattered the family at last. The fact that Tom simply abandons his family, in pursuit of his dreams, is exceptionally selfish. The father’s whereabouts are unknown and after Tom follows in his footsteps the fate of his sister is completely foreign to him as well. The lack of closure beyond Tom’s choice to flee his family helps to cement just how much none of the events mattered in the grander scheme. It was simply a memory, the origin of Tom post-freedom. We know little of his life now, he has regrets, but not nearly enough to actually seek out his sister.
ReplyDeleteEnrique Perez
Tennessee Williams’ use of repetition, compulsion, and recurrence allows us to see more clearly foundational themes in The Glass Menagerie. Williams’ skillful use of music, word usage, lighting are ways in which he subtly, exposes the underlying content and reveals the pulse of the play. A pulse driven by nostalgia and emotions connected to the past.
ReplyDeleteEvery character has a device that is used for the audience to understand the characters in a more intimate light. For Tom, (Amanda’s son) the word “movie” was used frequently throughout the play. Tom, who happens to live a dreary existence trapped in a house with his mother and crippled sister longs for days of adventure. The best way for Tom to tolerate his hum drum life is to escape in the world of cinema. He frequents theatres to see the actors and their adventures. Action and adventure that he seeks for himself. After Tom decides to pay his dues to enlist in the Merchant Marines instead of paying the light bill. That action results in the shutting off of the family’s electrical service while they are entertaining a gentleman caller. This illustrates how desperately Tom wants to experience adventure, that he’s willing to leave his family destitute. The word “movie” also contains the word move in it, as if to leave bread crumbs to the audience about Tom’s intentions. He’s planning a big move and it seems that it’ll be only a matter of time until he makes it.
Amanda, mother to both Tom (the poet) and to Laura (the introvert) obsessively reminisces about her youth and beauty and the days back on Blue Mountain when she would have gentlemen callers just strewn about. The repetition of the word, “Jonquil” when Amanda recounts memories about the days of old allows us to see the “Jonquil” in our minds eye. I can envision her gliding around in long, flowy skirts surrounded by flowers and young men. She has hopes that her daughter, Laura could also have such charm as to entertain callers of her own. The truth is that Amanda is scared to death that her daughter will never marry or have a career, after finding out that in fact, Laura had dropped out of business college several months ago. This development sends Amanda into overdrive trying to set her daughter up with a man, a man that will be able to provide for Laura and his mother-in-law, of course.
Laura, (Amanda’s daughter and sister to Tom) is delicate, pretty, and very fragile just like her glass menagerie. The device used to illuminate that quality in Laura is the use of lighting. Whenever Laura is on stage, she is lit differently from everybody else giving her a saintly appearance. She is always bathed in a soft glowing light much like the tiny glass animals sitting nearby. She is an unearthly beauty that will, more than likely, live out the rest of her days beside her mother and eventually all alone. My hope is that the reverse is true, and she takes Jim’s good advice and becomes the woman that he knows she can be.
These were just a few ways in which Tennessee Williams is masterful at bringing his characters to life. At the core of this play are feelings of abandonment, nostalgia, longing, confinement, and inexplicable sadness. William’s employ of music to underline these emotions every time the glass menagerie theme is played. The music while jaunty is also haunting in that it reminds these characters of people, places, and the things that could be.
Julietta Rivera
After reading the article by Kusovac & Pralas a few moments in the play stood out to me as very clear indicators of Williams, as the article expresses it, repetition or reenactment of his own traumatic past through these characters. The particular moment that immediately clicked for me was Tom’s final speech, next was Amanda’s use of jonquils in addition to a certain set of stage direction which highlight her dress.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article, Williams forged a strong bond with his sister Rose (a name which the article likewise denotes as important in the play’s repetition) through their shared trauma at the hands of an abusive father. Furthermore, the article cites one Donald Spoto as stating that from his earliest works and well into his career both the image and name of Rose haunted the pages. If we look at the last few lines of Tom’s final speech (found on page 97 of my copy) then we can see here that the descriptions of a window shop filled with pieces of colored glass reminiscent of Laura’s own menagerie and the imagined, almost spectral, sensation of Laura touching his shoulder are a clear implant of Rose. Tom expresses a mixture of regret and perhaps resentment here at his unintended faithfulness to family, which I argue would reflect Williams's own endeavor to distance from the family through education and writing - of course, with the unintentional result of his dear Rose’s lobotomy.
Now, the article touches extensively on the use of jonquils and their relation to Williams's actual mother’s constant remembering of a more youthful and pleasant time. However, I would like to point out another connection seen in the opening of Scene Two. In describing the scene the reader is given details of Amanda’s dress: “cheap or imitation velvety-looking”, “imitation fur collar”, “hat is five or six years old”, and finally “clutching an enormous black patent-leather pocketbook with nickel clasps and initials” (11). Clearly, the last item holds the most monetary value and as a result the most personal value to Amanda; it’s perhaps the sole item of dress which she has in this scene that is reflective of her glorious past and that she is clutching, not simply holding, shows a great deal. Still, each of these items is meant to be a copy, similar but not identical as the article might state, of those wealthier clothes they mirror. If the jonquils represent a repetitive reminiscing of her past, then this description is an outwardly imposing of that same sentiment.
Joaquin Castillo Jr
DeleteThis is not my first time reading The Glass Menagerie, but it is also the first time I delved into the psyche of its playwright, Tennessee Williams.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read the play was somewhere in my high school years. I was probably either a sophomore or a senior. I remember the play being very tragic, something that I revisited upon reading it again for this class. However, I remember feeling vaguely confused towards the end of the play where Tom shows regret of how he could not leave his sister Laura behind him. At the time, it felt out of character for Tom, whom I thought would take any chance he could get at leaving behind his family. But I can say, now that I understand Williams’s background and past, it does feel more appropriate for an ending.
Repetition used in The Glass Menagerie is unique that it not only through its language and text, but through use of certain items that is supposed to represent the internal crisis of the three family member, Amanda, Laura and Tom. For Amanda and Laura, the use of flowers were representative of hiding in the beauty of their past and taking shelter from their current predicaments while Tom’s love of cinema represented his desire to break free of his obligations and explore the inner poet inside of him.
One object that I felt was glossed over in the article was Laura’s glass Menagerie itself. The audience is always being reminded of its existence because of the significance it holds to not only Laura, but to the entire family as well. Much like glass, the collection of the figurines symbolizes the fragility and the state of the family, as one wrong move can shatter the glass. This comes to a head in scene three, where Tom accidently knocks down one of Laura’s figurines, it could be seen as a foreshadowing of future events, where the gentleman that Tom brings home is unattainable to Laura. Much like how Tom breaks her figure earlier, he is also responsible for breaking her chances at happiness. And, assuming that event is what the last straw was for Tom, also symbolizes the breaking of the family where Tom goes his own way, leaving his sister behind.
Mirella Martinez
I liked my readthrough of “The Glass Menagerie”, again we’re put in the past where lifestyle was different for society. We got to see how the characters in the play care much for their place on earth. Amanda, wants the best for her daughter, Tom, wants to go on adventures, while Jim wants to marry Betty. Each of these characters cling on to what they hold most dear. This play reminded me “A Dolls House” and “Trifles”. Again, we’re put into a time where the roles in society played differently especially in the economy. In the article in talks about how Williams wanted to put themes of the American Dream within the play without literally saying it. There’s a part in the play where Amanda mentions, “ what is there left but dependency all our lives?... stuck away in some little mousetrap of a room - encouraged by one in-law to visit another - little birdlike women without any nest - eating the crust of humility all their life ! Is that the future that we've mapped out for ourselves.” This whole speech reminded me of Nora’s seat in “A Dolls House”. She would not be where she was in the play if it weren't for her husband and his successful career. Mr. Helmer referred to Nora as a songbird, while Amanda refers to women as little birds. It reminded me of “Trifles” due to the whole role gender plays in the the plays.
ReplyDeleteDanny Olivarez
I do agree with what Tariq’s article has to say about The Glass Menagerie. However, I do not completely agree with Tariq’s statement that Amanda’s, “obsession to find a suitable gentleman caller for her caller is actually her obsession with the American Dream (3).” While Amanda is doing this, for the most part she wants to relive the old days when she used to have many gentlemen callers through Laura.
ReplyDeleteAmanda reliving through Amanda can be seen throughout the play in instances when she speaks about gentlemen callers. Her frequent retelling of her stories about the old days lets reads know she greatly values those times. However, Amanda did not live the American dream and was left disappointed when the gentlemen caller she chose abandoned her. Readers can see she is reliving through Laura in hopes of find a better gentleman caller and better ending. This is better shown after Amanda realizes Laura has stopped attending classes. She asks Laura, “So what are we going to the rest of our lives?” and “Is that the future that we've mapped out for ourselves?” As well, she also tells Laura, “Fifty dollars' tuition, all of our plans - my hopes and ambition for you - just gone up the spout.” The use of the word “we” and “our” in both statements shows Amanda thinks of Laura as either herself or as an extension of herself. However, Laura does not show much concern regarding her future. Additionally, the only reason Laura has a “gentleman caller” in the first place is because her mother intervenes and forces it to happen. Overall, Amanda’s concern shown earlier is because she wants to relive her better days. Lastly, this is shown through her keeping jonquils and wearing her old yellow dress from those days. The choice of a happy color for her dress, yellow, indicates those were good days.
This is further shown through her actions and how she focuses more throughout the play on helping Amanda find a gentlemen caller over helping Tom become successful.
-Zugay Trevino
In my opinion, it never ceases to amaze me how poetic notions can be implemented into other mediums asides poems, such as short stories, novels, or in this case, a play. According to the scholarly article by Kusovac and Pralas, they cite sources, such as Frank Durham in which he defines him as, “theatre poet in prose” (pg. 36). On a first read, before reading the article, I noticed that Tom is in a routine of “going to the movies” or even having a cigarette. This, at a first glance, can be seen as an unhealthy habit, but Tom states during the play, “I go to the movies because — I like adventure” (Williams, pg.33). This is in scene four, but in scene three, Tom makes a remark to his mother that she confiscated his books, which the books can be seen as a sort of escape for the character, similar to the cigarettes and movies.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the power of language that Williams exemplifies with the wordplay in regard to the words pleurosis and blue roses, as well as movies and the verb move was something to take note of as well since these are devices normally used in poems, yet the writer was able to initiate them in dialogue. It sort of reminds me of a song I heard back in the day from one of my favorite artists who released a song called “Bury White” which talked about the rise of cocaine in the 1980’s, however there is a “Barry White” vocal snippet that plays in the background, so as a listener, you are able to see the play on words. Relating back to the repetition concept, the “hook” is utilized in a sense like it’s an anthem to put a stop to selling narcotics while in the play it seems that these characters are always drawn to certain items which is tied to why they repeat certain words and phrases, such as jonquils, movies, adventure, and blue roses. Even though the characters are in the present time period in regard to their setting, these items take them away from the life they live. For example, Kusovac and Pralas mention that Amanda is tied to her youthful days, thus she always mentions jonquils.
Another usage of repetition is not so in the form of words, but in the form of actions and how they play out in these characters’ lives. It’s somewhat of a cycle that I noticed. So, early on in the play the audience learns that the father/husband of the main cast left the family without batting an eyelash. By the end of the play, we see Tom’s frustration delve into his decisionmaking and he ultimately leaves his mother and sister behind. However, a difference here is that we see that there is remorse behind Tom’s choice. On the other side, we see Amanda who, like, stated before, is tied to her past and wants the same for her daughter. However, even though the mother attempts for Laura to be swayed by a gentleman caller, at the end she is still alone. Which on my read through made for a painful and heartbreaking scene seven for me because initially I figured there was to be some sort of blessing that would fall upon on Laura, but yet, she remains alone.
Furthermore, on the other scholarly article we were provided, the historical background seems to play a significant portion in the play since the characters are placed in the South during the 1930s which was when America was facing The Great Depression (Tariq, pg. 2). It’s important to know when a play is set and when written to see the parallels between real life and in the fictional world that the cast is in. One characteristic of “The American Dream” is for a man to be able to provide for his wife and child, with the white picket fence and all the works. Amanda references this in a scene with Tom where they discuss how much Jim makes. Tom’s mother mentions that $85 dollars a month is not enough to get by on. However, her interest in him taking night classes shows that during this time education was a foundation to climb the ranks of the working world, which can be relatable to “The American Dream” because most employees in a company want to be on top in an executive position one day.
P.J. Hernandez