Abigale Upham

Professor Bishnupriya Ghosh

English 10
2 December 2010
Gender: The Deciding Factor in Direction of Life
It has been a constant struggle for women to be recognized and accepted as mans equal.
Their oppression and movements against it have proven a prevalent issue in literature as well,
enough to have an entire literary criticism devoted to it. Tennessee Williams play The Glass
Menagerie is a strong piece of writing where feminist criticism can be applied. The play allows
for cultural roles and relationships of men and women to be analyzed. Gender truly dictates how
each characters life is lead. Women were supposed to be domesticated wives while men were to
be providers or, if they desired, explorers. Amanda and her daughter Laura are two main
characters in the play who both offer often and unwavering instances of the typical stereotype of
a domesticated woman. Time and time again they are featured in situations where they appear
frail, passive, desperate, and trapped. The women are depicted as dependent on men, repeatedly
emphasizing the need for a male counterpart in order to escape whatever problems they may be
held under.
Perhaps the strongest depiction of woman as frail and passive comes from the character
Laura. From the beginning of the story it is made known to the reader or audience that she is
physically disabled with a limp in her leg as a lingering symptom from a childhood disease. The
disability acts as a symbol of her gender and the stigma that comes along with it. Because of the
Upham 1
limp she will always be a little slower, a little weaker, a little less able and a little more
dependent than her male peers.
Laura also seems to have little control over other aspects of her physical being throughout
the play. She is constantly sweating, falling ill, suffering form shaking hands and fainting. When
attempting to complete a college business course she finds herself throwing up from nerves over
a test. It is as if the outside world is too much for her to handle. In his critic, Cardullo refers to
Laura as fragile, almost unearthly ego brutalized by life in industrialized, depersonalized cities
of the Western world. Lauras failure to cope with the reality of everyday life is common
throughout the story in other characters as well. Amanda dwells in her past full of handsome
male suitors rather than consider facing her present or future. Her son Tom also feels oppressed
by his mindless job at a shoe factory. The difference between the women and Tom is that in the
end Tom sets out to bring change to his life. He realizes what is holding him back and is active in
fixing the problem. The other male character, Jim, also makes changes to improve his life by
attending classes to prepare him for the growing world in television. Both men become active
characters by the end of the play. Unlike Tom the two women stay stuck in their unproductive
and unpleasant lifestyles. They do not have the option of escaping their realities.
In addition to their physical neediness, these women are all emotionally
fragile (DiSchiavi). When actress Jessica Lange is questioned about taking the role of Amanda
she admits that she has always been attracted to character that have a certain..feminine frailty
holding back no secrets if Amandas weaknesses (Smith). Lara is an excellent symbol of fragility
and weakness within the story. Beyond her physical impairment Laura is a very passive dazed
character. In the 1987 Paul Newman version of the play Laras tone rarely changes. There are
Upham 2
never major climaxes in her attitude. She never engages in any arguments, debates and rarely in
any other conversation. Her lack of opinion throughout the play render her character as
completely passive. She is more or less the same character through the end of the story never
coming to any answers, epiphanies or alterations in persona. Her disposition contrasts greatly to
the male figures Tom and Jim who both find means of pursing goals that remove them from their
current situations.
Gender roles play a large part in dictating any future plans of the
characters (DiSchiavi). The only glimmer of a change in lifestyle for Laura and Amanda
depends on the presence of a man. The extreme dependence on a man for happiness becomes
apparent when the reader realizes Amanda was only happy when being pursued by male suitors.
She is constantly referring to the men of her past with nostalgic wanting. These women are
without power in the community they inhabit. It is the men who control events; the women are
entirely dependent on the men and use them to achieve their goals (DiSchiavi). Amandas only
joy is found in being able to fill the role of a domestic wife. Williams often writes of this
yearning so that it encompasses her character throughout the story. The video version clearly
shows her desiree for that particular lifestyle by softening her facial features and adding a glaze
to her eyes whenever she relents on her past.
Because Amanda can not physically return to her past, she instead obsesses over findings
a male suitor for her daughter Laura. It is apparent that finding a man to take care of Laura is
Amandas priority. Her character is a strong believer in the idea that women need a man in order
to be successful, happy, or of worth. Develop charm---and vivacity---and---charm! Thats all
you have to do! (Williams 981). While males in the story need jobs to ensure a successful life,
Upham 3
women only need to poses charm. Their happiness and success is delivered through the pairing
up of themselves with a man. Without this superficial trait women are left to wander listlessly
through life accomplishing nothing. This phenomenon is represented in Amandas relentless
grooming of Laura in an attempt to domesticate and prepare her to win over a man who can
ensure a fine life for her. Amanda is pictured combing Lauras hair, dressing her in pretty outfits,
telling her how to sit and act. To Amanda the only road to a womens success in is charm leading
to achieving husband leading then to finding happiness. No other option is of value.
Tom and Jim are allowed to find happiness and success in outlets including exploring and
education. The two men are the only characters who possess a sense of autonomy and freedom.
Tom often dreams of traveling as he stands on the fire escape outside their tiny apartment. Once
Amanda joins him for a brief moment but flees back inside after realizing that a gentleman caller
is on his way. This scene only further enhances the thought that womens only hope of
satisfaction is through marriage. As author Smith phrases it Amanda is desperate to marry off
her unstable daughter before its too late. Amanda literally turns her back to other options of
adventure and escape that the landing stands for to rush inside and prepare for Jim. This act
blatantly ascribes travel and exploration of the outside world as a mans duty and domestic
attendance's as womens. The male gender is the only one of the two that is allowed to be
liberated by and excel in multiple lifestyles.
The theory of relying on a husband is underlined by Amandas own job. She sells
magazines over the telephone. It should be noted that Amanda makes no sales while her daughter
is portrayed as a character who will be forever single. However, once the opportunity of Jim as a
Upham 4
male suitor appears Amanda is able to sell a magazine. Even at this level of distortion
dependence of a woman on a man for success is highlighted.
Amandas job leads to yet another instance of oppression of women. Her work takes
place within the walls of her home. The women in Williams play are rarely placed in a setting
outside of the house. The men come and go but Amanda and Laura are almost always there. The
one scene where Laura is allowed to venture outside she slips and falls right after exiting the
door. This scene adds to the domestication of the women characters by heightening their frailty
and lack of ability to be a functioning part of the outside working world.
Not only are Amanda and Laura confined to the house but they are confined to a very
small house. There is minimal space for them to engage in any activity. It is as if Amanda and
Lara are constantly living in a cage. On the other hand, Tom attends many movies and magic
shows because he can not handle being held in the cage. Regardless of those options and
opportunities the women seem to not even view breaking out of the small enclosure as an option.
Another strong sign of womens dependence of men is the reoccurring scenes where Tom
is stepping in to protect Amanda and Lara. Almost the entire play Tom is protecting Amanda
economically by bringing in the money to pay for rent and other living necessities. Amanda and
Laura depend on Tom for their very survival (DiSchiavi). When he doesnt pay the bill the
electricity is shut off and Amanda has no way to bring it back. In many scenes she is desperately
worrying and pleading Tom not to leave them. What right do you have to jeopardize your job?
Jeopardize the security of all of us? How do you think we would manage if you
were-- (Williams 984). In the video her desperation is enhanced by her constant clinging and
grabbing of Tom as he tries to leave the house. Scenes such as this place power in the hands of
Upham 5
male characters. Her dread of the future stems from a well-founded fear that her son Tom will
one day abandon the family and leave the two women helpless (DiSchiavi). Tom has the ability
to provide and deprive (as quite literally represented in the electricity example). It is undeniable
that gender leads to empowerment. Furthermore, empowerment leads to control. This brings one
to the conclusion that the men in the story have control over all situations from their own lives to
the lives of the women.
Tom protects Laura again and again always catching her when she falls. He tells sweet
little lies to calm her nerves, helps to hide her behind the door when she is shy, catches her when
she faints, feeds her water when she is shaky, etc. Toms constant role of protecting Laura paints
women as fragile and child like, always in need of assistance. Glass is something that you have
to take very careful care of (Williams 1017). Laura and Amanda are in one way or another
always in need of help and care just to function through their daily lives. Jims part in the play
helps to enhance this theme as well. He has to lead Laura to sit on the floor, dance, and talk. Lara
has no motives of her own unless provoked or preceded by those of a man. You want me to
have it? (Williams 1021). Jim even has to ask questions pertaining to what Laura is trying to say
because she is too distraught to explain anything on her own. Laras neediness clearly helps to
personify women in a manner of weakness without the appearance of a man in their lives.
The Glass Menagerie makes apparent the trend that a persons values are defined by their
gender. It also embellishes the fact that the characters are oblivious to any other path of life
besides traditional roles prescribed by gender. Unfortunately for Amanda and Laura, prescribed
gender roles means dependency, fragility and passiveness. All of these traditional traits hold both
characters back from developing at al over the course of the play. Stigma is passed from
Upham 6
Amandas generation to Laras ensuring men to move forward and women to remain caged
within the domestic walls of the home.
Upham 7
Works Cited
Cardullo, Bert. Williams The Glass Menagerie. Explicator 55 (1997): 161. EBSChost. Web.
16 November 2010.
DiSchiavi, Michael. Tennessee Williams Woman in a Mans World. The Gay & Lesbian
Review 15 (2008): 1-18. ProQuest. Web. 30 December 2010.
Gardner, Janet, Beverly Lawn, Jack Ridl, and Peter Schakel. Literature: A Portable Anthology.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print. Smith, Sean. Heart of Glass. Newsweek
145 (2005): 50-51. EBSChost. Web. 16 November 2010.
Smith, Sean. Heart of Glass. Newsweek 145 (2005): 50-51. EBSChost. Web. 16 November
2010.
Upham 8