The Glass Menagerie #3

Tom, a character in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, finds himself living in conditions that he does not enjoy at all. He seems to have this dilemma between doing the right thing and maintaining the role of caretaker of the family or deciding that he really only cares for himself and taking off. He has these secret ambitions that are brought up throughout the play. One is to join up with the merchant marine and ends up actually pursuing his dream. He finally reveals to his friend Jim, "I'm a member"(1268). This actually helps in the fulfillment of his previous deceleration that he desires a life of action. When speaking with his mother he constantly said that he wanted something more. This brings up more confrontations because of the concern that his mother has with finding Laura a husband. He is looking for a way out while his mother really wants to secure her daughters future before she sends her son on sin way. Tom comes off as having a nostalgic attitude towards Laura. This results from the constant babying and belittling that the family puts on Laura. They never seem to make her stand up for herself. Tom finally leaves as a result of a quarrel with his mother. He needs to move on to bigger and better things. The dialogue that Tom leaves the audience with does not leave a resolution to the problem that he is constantly facing. It seemed as though the reminders in all of the places that he went to of Laura never really enabled him to live out his life without regrets of the past.