Glass Menagerie Timed Write

Prompt

Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.

Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action.

Response

In "The Glass Menagerie", Tennessee William utilizes the conflict between the mother and daughter to highlight the generational gap and personal disappointments, and to provide emphasis upo the play’s central themes of disillusionment and social norms.

A primary source of conflict between Amanda and Laura lies in their contrasting worldviews. Amanda's past consisted of being a young, popular girl within the Southern community. She prides herself in her social status and beauty, and in several instances in the play she recalls being able to have many "gentleman callers". This past contrasts with the present - after a failed marriage and life as a single mother, she's basically abandoned by society. This is what sets up the play: Amanda is stuck within her past - she envisions a life for Laura that mirrors her own youthful past, all while being oblivious to the changing times and her daughter's distinct situation. Laura, conversely, is both an introvert and fragile, physically and emotionally – a stark contrast to Amanda's outgoing and forceful nature. William uses these differences within the characters to highlight the generational gap between the two, and to emphasize the fact that Amanda is completely delusional and unable to understand Laura's situation.

This mother-daughter conflict is fueled by the tension between maternal expectations and social norms. Amanda's desire for Laura to conform to traditional societal roles, particularly regarding marriage and social success – directly conflicts with Laura's lack of interest in such pursuits and her contentment in her small, safe world. To Amanda, marriage is the only other option for Laura - afterall she dropped out of business school and doesn't seem to capable of building her career. Amanda's fixation on marriage as the sole path to stability and fulfillment for Laura is a reflection of her own ingrained beliefs and societal conditioning. In her view, marriage is not just a personal milestone but a societal imperative, a means of securing a place within the social order. This perspective is deeply rooted in the values of her past, a time when a woman's worth and security were often measured by her marital status. Amanda's inability to envision alternative paths to happiness and success for Laura demonstrates a rigid adherence to these outdated norms, further highlighting the generational gap and disillusionment. Laura’s reluctance to pursue marriage and her withdrawal from societal expectations represent a silent yet powerful defiance. Her world of glass animals, a symbol of her fragile and introspective nature, stands in stark contrast to her mothers demands. This defiance from Laura is ultimately William's way of commenting on the suffocating nature of disillusioned societal expectations and the pressure to conform to traditional roles.