Amanda

I can't decide if Amanda is legitimately crazy/losing her mind or if she's just a paranoid, somewhat psycho mom. The way she treats Tom when he's eating is ridiculous. I mean, my mom tells my brothers to eat politely all the time, but she doesn't yell at them because she thinks they're not enjoying their food. The worst is in scene 5 when she tells him that he's "going to listen" and that she's "at the end of [her] patience" with him. He has to be close to 20 years old, and there's no reason for the mother of a 20-year-old to give him instructions like that. Amanda clearly has issues with how similar Tom is to his father, but she's losing her mind because of it. If she can brag so easily about how many guys wanted to date her when she was young, can her husband leaving really have hurt her that badly? I'm not a big fan regardless of her circumstances.

The Glass Menagerie--1119 #8

The primary means of dramatic exposition in The Glass Menagerie is through dialogue, but Tom's narration clarifies that drama. Tom's asides serve as an explanation or preparation for the audience so that they are not confused by the new information in the scene. A clear example of this is at the beginning of scene 6 when Tom explains that he "had known Jim slightly since high school (1261)." The audience gains a better understanding of why Tom would invite Jim over for dinner from this explanation. Most guys wouldn't invite some random guy from work home, so it helps to know that Tom had known Jim for a while. This clarifies a past event, but narrations like Tom's at the beginning of the play explain events that have not yet happen. They prepare the audience for the upcoming scene.

The Glass Menagerie--1119 #1

Tennessee Williams uses both realistic and nonrealistic conventions in The Glass Menagerie. The structure of the Wingfield family is a realistic trait of the play. I don't know a single mother who hasn't corrected her child for eating impolitely. It's not uncommon, so Amanda's "And chew--chew!" comment on page 1237 is not out of place. But certain aspects of the play, such as Tom's frequent asides, are completely unrealistic. I understand that the soliloquies are necessary to the audience's understanding of the events taking place, but no one actually believes that turning around prevents anyone from hearing anything. Most of the play, however, seems quite realistic. Laura's reaction to her mother's comments about her having a defect are understandable. I'd be upset too. But I also understand why Amanda doesn't like the word "crippled." Who wants to accept that fact that their child has a disability, even if it is somewhat slight? The play is a literalistic imitation of reality. Many of the things that happen in the play can and do take place in families everywhere. There really are no breaks from the normal behavior of each of the characters in the play. They all act pretty much the same way the entire time.