Tennessee Williams' the Glass Menagerie - Assignment Example

Introduction to Literature I. Point of Family in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ and ‘Two Kinds’ The Glass Menagerie is a play written by Tennessee William, about a family that consists of a Mother (Amanda), son (Tom) and daughter (Laura). Amanda’s husband abandoned the family some sixteen years before the play was written. The Glass Menagerie is about the everyday lives of these family members and their relationship with one another (Rathbun, 2). Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds’ is a story about a family made up of a mother and her daughter who have immigrated to America from China (Kirszner and Mandel, 312). In both ‘Glass Menagerie’ and ‘Two Kinds’, family is one of the main themes. Some of the points that come out in this theme in both stories are discussed below. Family Structure In both stories, there is no father. In ‘The Glass Menagerie”, Amanda’s husband left her to bear the burden of bringing up two children on her own. Tom and Laura had to grow up not knowing their father. In the Two Kinds, there is also no father in the picture. This kind of family structure is very similar to how many families are today. In most cases, children have to grow up without a father figure, who might have died or disappeared from the family. In both these books, the mother has to act as both the father and mother. She is the one who has to make all the important decision in the family. For instance, in the Glass Menagerie, Amanda had the responsibility of bringing up two children and she did it without the help f the children’s father (Rathbun, 5). Suyan in the Two Kinds also had to raise her daughter alone after her husband passed away in China (Kirszner and Mandel, 312). Abandonment Both sets of families have to go through a number of abandonment in their lives. Not only were they abandoned by their father-figures, through departure and death, they also abandoned their lives in search of happiness elsewhere. For instance, the Wingfields in the Glass Menagerie left their home in the South to settle and work in the North (Rathbun, 32). Suyan and her daughter moved from China to America in search of a better life and to forget past pains. However, though both families moved from their former homes in search of a better life, it is clear that the mothers did not abandon their homes completely. They occasionally referred to where they came from when addressing their children (Kirszner and Mandel, 315). Relationships between parents and their children Parent-child relationship is a point that has been dealt with in great depth in both stories. Amanda has a cold relationship with Tom, which might be the reason why he leaves home for good. He says “I haven’t enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it. It’s you that makes me rush through meals with your hawk-like attention …” (Rathbun, 13). The reason for Tom’s outburst maybe that his mother treats him like a child and not an adult. She treats Laura the same way, and even has an overbearing personality over both of her children. Suyan also has a complicated relationship wither only surviving child. She expects her to do everything that she (Suyan) demands of her. For instance, she pushes her to attend piano lessons so that she can be good enough to compete with her neighbor’s daughter, but Jeng-Mei wants nothing to do with her mother’s aspirations when she says “I wish Id never been born! I wish I were dead” (Kirszner and Mandel, 313), this outburst shows her frustrations with her mother’s overbearing nature. Mother-Daughter Relationship The issue of mother-daughter relationships has been dealt with in both stories. In the Glass Menagerie, Amanda thinks that Laura is too weak to make any decisions for herself, and so she goes ahead and makes important choices for her. For instance, she chooses a suitor for Laura (Rathbun, 32). It seems that her overbearing presence in Laura’s life has contributed to the latter’s low self esteem. On the other hand, Suyan and Jing-mei in the Two Kinds have a complicated relationship. The mother wants her daughter to obey her every word. The two share some similarities in that they live in an unreal world full of fantasies. However, Jing-Mei is a girl with her own mind and she does not take well to her mother’s authoritative nature (Kirszner and Mandel, 314). The two of them are very different in terms of culture and worldview. Parental aspirations for children The theme of family also covers the point of parental aspirations for their children. Amanda wants her daughter to find a suitor who will marry her. She wants Laura to have the same kind of life that she enjoyed as a young girl growing up in the South. When laura does not succeed in finding a suitor, Amanda is disappointed (Rathbun, 55). Suyan wants her daughter to grow up like a proper Chinese lady. Although she encourages her to take advantage of the opportunities in America, Suyan still dreams of a Chinese kind of life for her daughter. In the end she has to come to terms with the fact that Jing-Mei does not want to follow in her mother’s footsteps (Kirszner and Mandel, 316). II. Gryphon by Charles Baxter Gryphon is one of Charles Baxter’s short stories. The story is about a 4th grade classroom situation where a teacher captivates her students by the facts and myths she tells them. One of these myths is her descriptions of a gryphon. She also tells them of their future. The story is told by Tommy, a 4th grader and a member of the class in the story. The narrator does participate in the story. He is a reliable narrator since he tells it from the viewpoint of a fourth grader. The way he tells the story is full of a fourth-grader’s innocence. He is also reliable since he was part of the story, and hence he gives a first hand account of the events that occur in the story (Vetter, 15). Using Tommy as a narrator is significant as it shapes how the story goes. As a fourth grader, Tommy tells the story as he understands it. He describes the scene and events like they were, or how he saw them. It is a recollection of past events told in past tense. The way the story is told, it gives the reader a chance to decide for himself whether or not what the substitute teacher was saying is true or not. The narrator just tells the story as he remembers it, it is up to the reader to make conclusion on what he thinks about the characters and themes in the story (37). If it was told from a different point of view, the story might have been biased towards or against the substitute teacher. For instance, if an adult viewpoint was taken in the narration of the story, there might have been clear lines on what was right or wrong about the substitute’s teacher’s tales and way of teaching. The narrator is a male; therefore, he tells the story according to how he understood it as a boy. He tells the story from the point of view of a young imaginative boy, who gets mesmerized by the tales that he hears from his substitute teacher (45). III. To my Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet This is a love poem written during the 17th century in colonial America. The poem was written by a Puritan Woman, Anne Bradstreet as a tribute to her husband, to whom she was married when she was only sixteen. The poem is written from a woman’s perspective. This is not just any ordinary woman, it a woman deeply in love with her husband. She is the one who is professing her great love for her husband. The poet is trustworthy since she talks about what she is actually feeling, not someone else’s feelings or emotions. Having the woman profess her love in her own words is very effective as it brings out the depth of her feelings. The reader is able to feel and understand her because it is like the words are coming straight from her mouth. Having the woman as the narrator makes the poem seem real and based on true feelings. She has used the right words to express how she feels. If it had been written by another woman, one who was not in love, then it probably would not have had the same effect as it does. A man would not have been able to bring out the true feelings of the woman. A different use of word’s and phrases by another person would not have been as effectual as the one’s that have been used in this poem. Class and gender have played a big role in the poem’s point of view. The woman talking about her love for her husband lives in an era when it was not common for women to openly profess their feelings for their loved ones. However, the poet is a learned woman who can articulate her feelings well and she does so very well in this poem. She also makes a reference to the heavens, which shows that she is a spiritual woman, who believes in love. This might have influenced her reverence to the love she shares with her husband (Woodlief). IV. Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Night? By Shakespeare “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Night” is one of William Shakespeare’s most memorable sonnets. The poem is about love or deep rooted friendship. The poem is written by a person who has a dear friend. The poet is participating in the poem since he is addressing his friend directly. Since the poem is not written by a third party, it is quite trustworthy. The words come from the heart of a person who is feeling deep love. This makes the poem believable and sincere. The choice of the poet influences the flow of the poem. The words bring out the poet’s feelings and this communicates the mood in the poem. The reader is able to grasp the meaning of the words and emotions in the poem’s structure since the words come from the poet himself. If the poem was written from a different point of view, it would not have been possible to understand the emotions present in the poem as it is. It would also not be very easy for another person to articulate what the poet feels in his heart, therefore, it might not have been as effective as it is. In other words, if the poem had been delivered by a third party, who had no feelings whatsoever for the poet’s friend, then the message might not have been as strong as it is. The poet is a man, therefore his gender must have come into play when writing this poem. The poem can be interpreted to be a romantic one, written by a male to his lover. If this is the case, then gender influenced the manner in which the love poem was worded and delivered. If the poem is meant for a dear friend, then class and gender have nothing to do with how it was written (Mabillard). Works Cited Kirszner, Laurie and Stephen Mandell. Fiction: Reading, Reacting, Writing. New York: Pauline Publications, 1994. Print. Mabillard, Amanda. An Analysis of Shakespere’s Sonnet 18. Shakespeare Online 2000. Web. 23 October, 2010. Rathbun, Gilbert. Tennessee Williams’ the Glass Menagerie. New York: Monarch Press, 1990. Print. Vetter, Jane. Reader response Criticism on Charles Baxter’s ‘Gryphon’. Berlin: GRIN Verlag, 2008. Print. Woodlief, Ann. To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet. Webtext. (nd). Web. 23 October, 2010. Read More

Suyan also has a complicated relationship wither only surviving child. She expects her to do everything that she (Suyan) demands of her. For instance, she pushes her to attend piano lessons so that she can be good enough to compete with her neighbor’s daughter, but Jeng-Mei wants nothing to do with her mother’s aspirations when she says “I wish Id never been born! I wish I were dead” (Kirszner and Mandel, 313), this outburst shows her frustrations with her mother’s overbearing nature.

Mother-Daughter Relationship The issue of mother-daughter relationships has been dealt with in both stories. In the Glass Menagerie, Amanda thinks that Laura is too weak to make any decisions for herself, and so she goes ahead and makes important choices for her. For instance, she chooses a suitor for Laura (Rathbun, 32). It seems that her overbearing presence in Laura’s life has contributed to the latter’s low self esteem. On the other hand, Suyan and Jing-mei in the Two Kinds have a complicated relationship.

The mother wants her daughter to obey her every word. The two share some similarities in that they live in an unreal world full of fantasies. However, Jing-Mei is a girl with her own mind and she does not take well to her mother’s authoritative nature (Kirszner and Mandel, 314). The two of them are very different in terms of culture and worldview. Parental aspirations for children The theme of family also covers the point of parental aspirations for their children. Amanda wants her daughter to find a suitor who will marry her.

She wants Laura to have the same kind of life that she enjoyed as a young girl growing up in the South. When laura does not succeed in finding a suitor, Amanda is disappointed (Rathbun, 55). Suyan wants her daughter to grow up like a proper Chinese lady. Although she encourages her to take advantage of the opportunities in America, Suyan still dreams of a Chinese kind of life for her daughter. In the end she has to come to terms with the fact that Jing-Mei does not want to follow in her mother’s footsteps (Kirszner and Mandel, 316). II. Gryphon by Charles Baxter Gryphon is one of Charles Baxter’s short stories.

The story is about a 4th grade classroom situation where a teacher captivates her students by the facts and myths she tells them. One of these myths is her descriptions of a gryphon. She also tells them of their future. The story is told by Tommy, a 4th grader and a member of the class in the story. The narrator does participate in the story. He is a reliable narrator since he tells it from the viewpoint of a fourth grader. The way he tells the story is full of a fourth-grader’s innocence. He is also reliable since he was part of the story, and hence he gives a first hand account of the events that occur in the story (Vetter, 15).

Using Tommy as a narrator is significant as it shapes how the story goes. As a fourth grader, Tommy tells the story as he understands it. He describes the scene and events like they were, or how he saw them. It is a recollection of past events told in past tense. The way the story is told, it gives the reader a chance to decide for himself whether or not what the substitute teacher was saying is true or not. The narrator just tells the story as he remembers it, it is up to the reader to make conclusion on what he thinks about the characters and themes in the story (37).

If it was told from a different point of view, the story might have been biased towards or against the substitute teacher. For instance, if an adult viewpoint was taken in the narration of the story, there might have been clear lines on what was right or wrong about the substitute’s teacher’s tales and way of teaching. The narrator is a male; therefore, he tells the story according to how he understood it as a boy. He tells the story from the point of view of a young imaginative boy, who gets mesmerized by the tales that he hears from his substitute teacher (45). III. To my Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet This is a love poem written during the 17th century in colonial America.

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