Student Essay on The Glass Menagerie: Character Summary

The Glass Menagerie: Character Summary by Tennessee Williams

(c)2024 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved.

Essay

Amanda Wingfield: Amanda is the mother of the family. She shows signs of racism when she says things like " We had to send the nigger over to bring in folding chairs from the parish house "She has a tendency to nag at her children. Amanda has a habit of thinking back to the past and trying to bring it back alive. Amanda loves her children. All she wishes is for her children to have happiness and good fortune.

Laura Wingfield: Laura is very self- conscious she is always worried about the fact that she is crippled. She is extremely shy. She does not complete school because she becomes so nervous that she gets sick. She feels like she can relate to the glass menagerie. Her favorite ornament is a unicorn because it is different and doesn't fit in just like her.

Tom Wingfield: Tom is the narrorator of the play and also the son in the family. He has a fondness for poetry. He regrets that he works in a warehouse and wants to become a merchant sailor. He is very unhappy with his life. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and escape the prison. Tom is the supporter of the family. Although eventually he escapes he cannot escape the memories and guilt that go through his head.

Jim O'Connor: Jim is the gentleman caller who Tom works with. He is the only person at the warehouse that tom is on friendly terms with. He is a very nice man who Laura once liked in high school. Jim helps Laura with her communication skills. Although he engaged to be married, he was a big help.