Compare Tom and Amanda in the Article The Glass Menageira

Shanshan Zhang
ENG 102A: Crtical Writing
Second Draft of Compare/Contrast Essay
Date
The tragic hero in The Glass Menageira
Tom Wingfield is the tragic hero in The Glass Menageira as he is obligated to remain loyal to his family because of duty and responsibility to them, even while he is unhappy with his job and his mother belittles him. King Lear in Shakespeare’s King Lear is a tragic hero who seeks to give his throne to his favorite daughter Cordelia, who had to prove she loved him, but the other cunning daughters trick him and even seek to kill him that he becomes mad when he was banished. Amanda Wingfield is the overbearing mother in the Glass Menagerie, while Tom Wingfield his son is a dreamy poet who works in a warehouse store. Tom faced dilemma whether to escape while Amanda believed that Tom ought to have offered more support to the family.
Both Tom and Amanda believe that family members ought to support each other even as Tom seeks independence away from family. As such, Tom faces dilemma on whether to leave his job and go on writing poetry or stay and continue being the breadwinner (Cardullo 80). “Listen! You think I'm crazy about the warehouse? [He bonds fiercely toward her slight You think I'm in love with the Continental Shoemakers?” (Williams 19). Tom indicates that he was uncomfortable working at the warehouse and he would rather be somewhere else, and he struggled to fit in. However, Amanda, felt that Tom was not doing enough as the breadwinner who supported the family since Laura wore a leg brace and he was the working male in the house. Amanda’s question, which elicits Tom’s response about his work is, “What right have you got to jeopardize your job - jeopardize the security of us all? How do you think we'd manage if you were” (Williams19). Amanda wanted to keep the family together and this required economic sustenance and she believed that Tom ought to have cared more about his job and the family’s welfare.
Tom escapes reality by focusing on poetry and movies, while Amanda escapes reality by retelling about her supposed rosy past. Tom tells his mother that he went to the movies as it was like an adventure, but she would hear none of that as he spent too much time there (Williams). Tom wan...