toms escapism personality in the play “The glass menagerie”

Sub-topic 1 Tom has the need to leave his current situation, but understands that this would impact both Amanda and Laura

Evidence 1:–magician

Source: (Williams, p. )  "You know it don’t take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail?" scene 4

Evidence 2:–understand Laura is different…

Source: (Williams, p.  )   Girls that aren’t cut out for business careers usually wind up married to some nice man. 

Sub-topic 2 His guilt is perpetuated by his mother who pressures him into staying. Eventually she will accept his leaving as long as he brings home a gentleman caller.

Evidence 1: his risking his job….

Source: (Williams, p.  )  tom explains he was fired shortly after leaving for writing poems on the job scene 7 “I didn’t go to the moon, I went much further — for time is the longest distance between two places. Not long after that I was fired for writing a poem on the lid of a shoe-box.” 

Evidence 2:..she guilt him 

Source: (Williams, p. )  “I mean that as soon as Laura has got somebody to take care of her, married, a home of her own, independent — why, then you’ll be free to go wherever you please, on land, on sea, whichever way the wind blows you! But until that time you’ve got to look out for your sister. I don’t say me because I’m old and don’t matter! I say for your sister because she’s young and dependent.” scene 4

Sub-topic 3 In the end things break down and Tom comes to a breaking point and leaves.

Evidence 1:  does not electric pay the bill….(leave them in the dark)

Source: (Williams, p. )  “Isn’t electricity a mysterious thing? Wasn’t it Benjamin Franklin who tied a key to the kite? We live in such a mysterious universe, don’t we? Some people say that science clears up all the mysteries for us. In my opinion it only creates more! Have you found it yet? JIM: No, Ma’am. All these fuses look okay to me.” – scene 7

Evidence 2:  blowing out the candle—he sees this –the audience he feels guilty, but he had to leave because he was at a breaking point.

Source: (Williams, p. ) . In the living room, Laura blows the candles out as Tom bids her goodbye.

scene 7