The Glass Menagerie (Blog 3)

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams has a character who never appears in the play, Tom and Laura's father. Their father is used as a big symbol in the story to help influence the way the characters act. When Amanda and Tom are having a conversation after Tom apologizes, Amanda claims, "I -- loved your father... and you -- when I see you taking after his ways!" (Williams, 1252). This is one of many instances in the play were Tom is compared to his father. Amanda seems to always be worried that Tom is going to end up leaving the family just as their father did years ago. Tom is controlled and persuaded to do as Amanda wants because Amanda manipulates the father's past mistakes. It seems as though the guilt trips Amanda plays on Tom is almost having a reverse effect which causes him to act more like his father. Tom views his father as a symbol of hope and the opportunity to follow his dreams of going on an adventure. Amanda views the symbol of the father as a way to control her children and almost draw pity upon herself. In the end, Tom ends up following in his father's foot steps by leaving to make a new life somewhere else.