Escape, Pressure, and Efforts Scenes III-V

Outline  Some Questions first  The Three Characters and their Dreams  Efforts

Questions about the Family  Is Laura “a mere pitiable object of compassion”? Is she only active in trying to bring the family together?  How does Amanda feel about her husband?  Is Amanda’s nagging completely unreasonable? Does Amanda try to keep Tom forever?  Where “might” Tom’s narration be unreliable?

Laura  Shows her tender understanding of her family members and others e.g. lets her mother talk about the past (1443); cannot face the mother’s suffering look (1447); cries over her brother’s unhappiness; e.g. understands that the popular girl (in her high school) is not sincere.  Tries to keep them together (1453)  Stumbles on the fire escape (1453) – Her physical and social limitations (1462--parallel)  Tom feels for her in the past and in his narration (e.g. 1453, 1451) --maybe because of her weakness, but how about us? See scenes 6 & 7

Amanda and her Husband (1)  1448 (II): believes in his charms  1455 –self-sacrifice (after making up with Tom) I know your ambitions do not lie in the warehouse, that like everybody in the whole wide world - you've had to make sacrifices, but - Tom - Tom - life's not easy, it calls for - Spartan endurance ! There's so many things in my heart that I cannot describe to you ! I've never told you but - I loved your father....  TOM [gently] : I know that, Mother.

Amanda and her Husband (2) p – A tries to talk Tom out of smoking  her sense of tragedy: 1) The only thing to emulate: the care he takes of appearance; 2) Tom’s smoking too much. The money can be used on a “night-school course”  “I’d rather smoke”  AMANDA [sharply]: I know! That's the tragedy of it. [Alone, she turns to look at her husband's picture.]

Amanda and her Husband (3)  Suffers from having an irresponsible and alcoholic husband  p –about the father’s drinking  Amanda asks if Jim drinks: AMANDA: Tom, he - doesn't drink? TOM: Why do you ask me that? AMANDA: Your father did! TOM: Don't get started on that !  P – about how to her “tragic mistake” TOM: Then how did you happen to make a tragic mistake ! AMANDA: That innocent look of your father's had everyone fooled ! He smiled - the world was enchanted ! No girl can do worse than put herself at the mercy of a handsome appearance ! I hope that Mr O'Connor is not too good-looking.  Self-contradictory: She hopes that Jim is not downright homely either.

Amanda and her Irresponsible but Charming Husband  Tolerates him  Shoulders the responsibilities  (contradictorily) Remembers his charm  Tries to avoid getting Laura someone like him.

Amanda and Tom’s conflict  She tries to retain the elegance and glories of the past (e.g. p. 1458)  She is religious, conventional and limited  She is practical  She believes in self- sacrifice, but she does not expect Tom to do so forever (1456)  How else can she survive?  his manners – how he eats and speaks  His reading D.H. Lawrence  his “going to the movies” ( —1452; 1462)  his smoking (1457)  His sense of burden

Reality vs. Dreams  Reality: [DANCE MUSIC: 'ALL THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE !']  [for bombardments] Paradise Dance Hall  Berchtesgaden (a military zone) and Chamberlain (UK prime minister) – ”waiting for bombardments”  Amanda’s and Tom’s Dreams: (pp ) A fire-escape landing's a poor excuse for a porch. [She spreads a newspaper on a step and sits down grace and demurely as if she were settling into a swing on a Mississippi veranda.] What are you looking at? Moon – Tom’s a secret to Amanda, but Amanda’s— knowable.  Laura’s // Tom’s ( 1462 ) Tom -- She lives in a world of her own - a world of little glass ornaments, Mother.... AMANDA [sharply]: Where are you going? TOM: I'm going to the movies. [Out screen door.]

The Family Members  Each of them make their efforts (Laura’s keeping peace, Amanda’s getting Laura a caller, Tom’s working in the warehouse)  Emotional ties as well as burden, or pressures on one another

Tom’s Memories Shown thru’ Stage Directions  Sympathetic – e.g. 'Où SONT LES NEIGES'. Blue Roses, 'THE CRUST OF HUMILITY' and Glass Menagerie (music and legend)  Ironic -- MUSIC UNDER: 'AVE MARIA‘—when Tom is about to make up with Amanda; ANNUNCIATION.  Obsessed– what haunts him—appear far before the actual line 'YOU THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH CONTINENTAL SHOEMAKERS?' 'PLANS AND PROVISIONS'