English Literature 9695

The Glass Menagerie: Laura Wingfield

Q. Role and Function of Laura Wingfield.

Williams has often presented complex characters that bring depth and modernism to his plays. At first glance one can easily judge such characters but with further analyses and reference to context, one is able to notice the themes they bring to light. One such complex character is Laura, who at first glance can be deemed the object of sentiment but after thorough evaluation of her character, one realises that Williams has depicted a modern heroine.

Laura is one of Williams' many attempts at exorcising the ghost of his sister Rose's memory. Williams left Rose when she descended into schizophrenia and needed him the most. Therefore this memory play is perhaps Williams' tribute to his sister making Laura, who represents Rose, the main character, despite the fact that she has the least dialogues compared to the other characters, even Jim whom Tom is said to be 'using this character also as a symbol.' and the only character connected to reality. This begs the question: is Laura connected to reality? At the beginning she is perhaps not. We see her 'acting' in the play as other characters are. Her attempts are more pitiful than Amanda's dramatic recalling of events and Tom's over exaggeration of them, but it can be seen that she too tries to disguise reality. When Amanda walks in, in Scene Two Laura is polishing her glass menagerie, she quickly puts them back in place and goes to the type writer pretending as if she were practicing it in the same way as she was pretending to go to college in order to not disappoint her mother.

Much of the stage directions also revolve around Laura. When Tom and Amanda are arguing, we see the light on Laura and how, unlike other characters, she is shown to present her feelings through her expressions and her music rather than through her speech. We often hear the 'Glass Menagerie' music play whenever something tragic happens to Laura like when Tom breaks one of her glass animals or when Jim gives her hope only to take it away. We also see how she see how she controls music through her father's vinyl player. Ironically, both Laura and Amanda keep something of the father (the picture and bath robe in Amanda's case) yet Tom, who owns nothing of his father seems to have followed his footsteps instead. When Laura is happy with Jim we hear cheerful jazz music in the play which is further evidence that the atmosphere revolves around her even though it is Tom's recollection of her, which is perhaps why the play is so sentimental.

Laura, like other characters, can be said to be stuck in the past. Perhaps her glass menagerie are a piece of her childhood or her life before the crippled leg's insecurities appeared, insecurities that she still can't seem to let go of, much like the year book that reminds her of love that she had for Jim in high school, and maybe still has. She clings to the memories just as Tom clings to the memory of Laura, even if they want to let go it seems that they can not for these memories remind them of what they had and what more they could have had if circumstances had not shattered their dreams and spirits.

Williams first introduces Laura with short dialogues and an overall sense of acceptance, she seems to have accepted the fact that she is not getting any gentlemen callers and has enough temperament to let Amanda discuss her past repeatedly as well as getting Tom to play along. As the play moves on we see that though she is presented as the one that's broken and most in need of help, she keeps the family together. She pleads Tom to apologise to Amanda for calling her a witch and perhaps her wellbeing is the only reason Tom stays in St. Louise as long as he does.

The title itself foreshadows Laura's fragility in the play. It reflects how when one of the menageries is broken by Tom it seems as though Laura is broken along with it. But, near the end we see Jim breaking the glass unicorn's horn, yet Laura is not affected as she is previously. Instead of falling apart she smiles and gives the now normal glass horse to Jim with humour tinted behaviour which is the first of its kind that we see Laura exhibit in the play. She perhaps realises that her insecurities about being crippled were all in her mind like the image of Blue Roses. Something unreal associated with something real. Maybe once she let go go that complex and opened up like her sofa bed, even Jim's leaving does not dull her newfound spirits. The play ends ambiguously with Tom leaving his family, but it may have a better ending than expected because maybe Laura finds herself, her confidence and maybe that is enough for her to face the world alone like a true modern heroine.