Essay on Escape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie - 506 Words

Escape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, each character attempts to escape the real world by creating their own â€Å"reality†. Laura hides from the world by magnifying her illness. Tom convinces himself that his needs supersede the needs of his family. Amanda focuses almost exclusively on the past - when she saw herself as a desirable southern belle. Even Jim focus his hopes on recapturing his good old high school days. Each character transposes their difficult situations into shadows of the truth. Laura, our fragile daughter-figure, finds herself escaping life at every turn. She induces sickness in her typing class and even as the Gentleman Caller awaits her in the livingroom.†¦show more content†¦By making himself believe that he is a righteous male, he convinces himself that his needs supersede his familys. Claiming to be an artist of emotions, he projects to the audience a facade of control and masculinity. His biggest dreams flash before his eyes on a screen in a darkened room; yet, in that little apartment he faces only the dimness. Even during his reflections on the fire escape he is not really separating himself because that metal frame, however sturdy, is still anchored to the apartment wall. Amanda, the Wingfield matriarch, utilizes an almost hysterical mechanism of denial. She surrounds her reality with the images of days she saw herself as the southern belle. Whenever she urges her family forward, she inevitably retreats to a time when her chief problem was to choose a beau over all the other beaus. When Jim visits, she emits the image of a perfect southern hostess, honeysuckle manners and down-home coziness. It does gives her an air of lost youthfulness. Under her vivacity and over her flurry of complaints lies a woman unwilling to age and unwilling to be left by an adored husband. Finally, our ordinary, nice boy, Jim, uses his glorified old memories saved by Laura to find some relief. Stuck in a warehouse job, he uses his past to spur on future success. Believing he will better himself, he takes classes in speaking, hoping toShow MoreRelated Escape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie Essay1333 Words   |  6 PagesEscape Mechanisms in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams’ play, The Glass Menagerie, all four members of the Wingfield family have chosen to hide from reality. Amanda tries to relive her past through Laura, and denies anything she does not want to accept. Laura is terrified of the real world, and choses to hide behind her limp, her glass menagerie and the victrola. Tom hides from his reality by going to the movies, writing poetry, and getting drunk. Mr Wingfield hides from hisRead More Three Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams1429 Words   |  6 PagesThree Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie, the narrator is used to reveal elements of Williams own life as a victim of the Depression in the 1930s. Williams does this through his eloquent use of symbolism. Three symbols seem to reveal Williams intent especially accurately; the unicorn, the picture of Mr. Wingfield, and Malvolios coffin trick.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The unicorn is a symbolic representation of ways

The Theory Of Learning By Plato And Margaret M. Clifford...

When depicting learning, books may feature an adolescent sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher lecture for an entire school day, but in actuality, learning is a constant personal discovery through our environment and throughout our entire lives. Learners cannot have information thrown at them without context and personal investment, but rather they should be directed towards knowledge which will spark desire. Plato’s (trans. 1968) Republic and Margaret M. Clifford’s (1990) article â€Å"Students Need Challenge, Not Easy Success† both demonstrate this point, but Clifford takes it a step further to propose that all learners should take these leaps, not just the most intelligent individuals as Plato (trans. 1968) claims. Human beings can not learn by having information drilled into us, but rather we have to be willing to recognize and interpret the world around us without the risk of punishment or failure. In Republic, Plato (trans. 1968) relays his thoughts on learning through the perspective of Socrates, a greek philosopher. Socrates uses an allegory of a cave in order to explain how humans learn throughout the different stages of life and discovery. The allegory begins in the dark where a group of humans are bound in a sun deprived cave so that they can only look straight ahead towards a wall (Plato, trans. 1968). Unbenounced to them, there is a fire which casts shadows of statues of real entities found in nature. But because the prisoners can only see what is projected

As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay) Free Essays

AS I SEE IT My name is Katrina but I prefer to be called as Kat. At my current young stage, I have an average height of five feet, three inches however I weigh heavier than any other girls of my age. By nationality and by blood, I am a Filipino. We will write a custom essay sample on As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay) or any similar topic only for you Order Now I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future. How to cite As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay), Essays

The Visit free essay sample

The life of Claire Zachanassian of Friedrich Durrenmatt’s The Visit is an endless pursuit of liberation – she offers the people of her depression-stricken hometown one million dollars in return for the death of her high school sweetheart, protagonist Alfred Ill. Claire believes that Ill’s death will justify the wrong she was done so many years ago when Ill testified against her in court and claimed to not be the father of her child, tacitly sentencing her to many a year spent in brothels. No matter how Claire tries to liberate herself from the past, however, the means she uses in order to liberate herself end up hurting her as well as those who initially suppressed her. Because society has for so long imprisoned Claire, Claire must ultimately imprison society in order to liberate herself. The Guellen townspeople are initially appalled at Claire’s offer, the mayor proudly telling Claire that â€Å"in the name of all citizens of Guellen, I reject your offer; and I reject it in the name of humanity. We would rather have poverty than blood on our hands†(Durrenmatt 39). Claire, however, has a different plan in mind. When Guellen’s doctor and schoolmaster try to talk Claire out of demanding the bloody price of Ill’s death in return for her one million dollar offer, Claire politely but firmly assures them that â€Å"the world turned me into a whore, I shall turn the world into a brothel† (67). This is exactly what Claire does. Despite how repulsed the town is by the unethical terms of the offer, the town members ultimately cave in to the point that when they gather in order to vote on whether or not to accept Claire’s offer, all but Ill vote in favor of accepting it. Claire also convinces the town’s gymnast to strangle Ill, the doctor to diagnose this cause of death as a heart attack, and the policeman into â€Å"[winking] a blind eye† (22) so that her unethical deed of paying one million dollars for the murder will go unreported. It is only by forcefully isolating the Guelleners from their morals that Claire is able to find freedom from the imprisoning past society thrust upon her so many years ago. This freedom, however, comes at a bargaining price. In order to obtain liberation, Claire imprisons herself by pursuing a lifestyle which causes her to have â€Å"grown into hell itself†(29). She spends her life working as a prostitute, despite her belief that â€Å"you should always fulfill your childhood dreams† (33). Claire’s over-brimming level of resentment towards Ill forcing her into becoming a prostitute makes it highly unlikely that, as a child, Claire dreamt of becoming a whore. Without becoming a prostitute, however, Claire wouldn’t have been in the Hamburg brothel where her first husband, â€Å"old Zachanassian† (29), met her, married her, and endowed her with the millions that now allows her the luxury of affording the liberation she so desires later on in life. While freedom is naturally perceived as a positive attainment, the means Claire uses in order to liberate herself imprison her in a number of ways that make the audience question if the means taken in order to obtain this freedom outweigh the relief of being liberated. Claire’s ultimate portal to liberation – the death of Alfred Ill can only be obtained through imprisoning herself as well as the other Guelleners. Claire explicitly tells Guellen, â€Å"I’m buying myself justice† (36) as she pays them off in order to kill Ill and free herself from her past. Bribery, forcing someone to do something in return for money, is by all means imprisoning. The Guelleners become willing to sacrifice their morals and aid in the process of liberating Claire only at the point at which Claire offers them financial compensation. The town, facing abject destitution, has no choice but to go along with Claire’s proposal – and Claire knows this. She intentionally imprisons the Guelleners as well as Alfred Ill –terminating a life perhaps being the most imprisoning condition a human can inflict upon another living organism – in order to obtain the liberation she has so long desired. The means she takes in order to free herself, however, also imprison her own well being. With blood on her hands, Claire’s soul is now anything but a clean slate and she is instead subject to a lifetime of a past coming back to haunt her. Claire is not able to create a scenario in which she liberates herself without somehow imprisoning herself or someone else. While Claire ultimately and praiseworthily frees herself from the unjust done to her so many years ago, the means it took for her to do so comes at the high expense of abandoning her childhood dreams to spending her young adult life in brothels, living with a murder on her hands as well as  ending the life of Alfred Ill, and forcing the Guelleners to partake in this fatal case of bribery. Why Claire chooses to stay in Guellen and lead the imprisoning life of a prostitute is left unknown. She claims that â€Å"the judgment of that court made [her] one† (38) but she never elaborates so as to explain why she couldn’t have found liberation by leaving Guellen and starting somewhere else with a cle an record. She seems to accept her so-called imprisoning fate with exceptional ease, indulge in playing the role of the martyr, and use these as justification for killing Ill. Her decision to stay in Guellen makes it seem as if some measure of imprisonment truly is necessary in order to obtain any measure of liberation – being able to grasp it without some level of sacrifice would not result in genuine liberation but rather an attainment of an illusion of freedom and justice. The audience comes to extol Claire’s quest for freedom and eventual self-liberation but simultaneously scorn the means she undertakes to achieve these ends. Durrenmatt does not try to answer whether or not it is possible for an end to justify the means it takes in order to achieve this end, but rather wants the audience to consider the high costs of liberation and whether or not freedom can be considered truly free.