The Glass Menagerie

     After finishing scenes one and two of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, I have learned a lot about two of the characters, Laura and Amanda Wingfield. Amanda is Laura's mother, and it is obvious she cares about Laura very much. Through Amanda's talk to and about Laura, there is quite a bit of indirect characterization.  Amanda is trying to make a good life for Laura. She has been paying for her to go to college and tries to help her meet potential husbands. However, Amanda is disgusted with Laura when she finds out Laura has not been attending her classes. She is also unhappy with Laura's lack of interest in men. Amanda says, "Fifty dollars' tuition, all of our plans- my hopes and ambitions for you- just gone up the spout" (1242).This quote tells the reader a lot about Amanda. It shows they are her dreams, not Laura's. This also makes it seem as though Amanda didn't accomplish or never had the chance to fulfill her own ambitions, so she is trying again with her daughter. It is clear they are not Laura's dreams, since she shows no interest in pursuing them. It will be interesting to see which of the women gets their own dreams fulfilled.