Topic > The Glass Menagerie - 1061 by Tennessee Williams

The lack of a positive male role model can be very problematic for any family; especially during the mid-1930s. Before World War II, women had no significant roles in the workforce and depended on their husbands or fathers to provide financially. There were limited government assistance programs during the Great Depression era and it was up to families to provide for themselves. Mr Wingfield's absence has taken a toll on his family's physical and mental wellbeing. The effects that the father's abandonment has had on the Wingfield family from The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee William are undeniable. The Amanda Wingfield we know is bossy, worrisome and full of regret. Amanda's background of fortune and popularity has made it extremely difficult for Amanda to accept the life she has at her fingertips and, to put it mildly, she is not satisfied with the way her life has turned out. Amanda often relives her past to deal with the present, and is described as a "disillusioned romantic" by Nancy Tischler (Fambrough 100). The statement made by Amanda in (scene 1) attests to her wealth and admiration.AMANDA (returning with a bowl of dessert). One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain... your mother had... seventeen!... visits from gentlemen! Because sometimes there weren't enough chairs to accommodate them all. We had to send a servant to bring the folding chairs from the parish house. (Williams 1160)Amanda could have married a more important man, but she fell for Mr. Wingfield's charm. Amanda's regret is evident through her observations of her most promising interlocutors and how one "...left his widow one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in government bonds...middle of paper...from the responsibility her father was left for him. The constant bickering between Tom and Amanda that is leading to the nervous state she is in, could be alleviated if Mr. Wingfield was there to relieve some of the stress from Tom and Amanda in that way he impacted every member of his family and potentially ruined the lives of his wife and children. Works Cited Williams, Tennessee. Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Greg Johnson and Laurence Perrine. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.Fambrough, Preston. 2 May 2014. Thierfelder III, WR "Williams's Glass Menagerie." Explainer. vol. 48. Taylor & Francis, 1990. 284. Academic research completed. Network. May 2 2014.