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Character Analysis of Tom

In: English and Literature

Submitted By cpenglish02
Words 357
Pages 2
he Glass Menagerie is a very character oriented poem. Tom, Amanda, and Laura are all very well developed characters. They all have significant and unique characteristics that are shown well throughout the poem. Tom is the most interesting to me though because of his qualities and even his flaws. Tom has a few different and contradicting characteristics such as he is easily persuaded, his determination and his strong sense of guilt.

Tom Wingfield seems to be easily entrapped and persuaded into certain situations he may or may not want to be in, given his current predicament. He has a feeling of being trapped at home because his mother and crippled sister depend on him. Tom would like to leave but he can not because he is basically devoted to taking care of them until they can find another source of income and help. Tom also wants to escape from his job at the warehouse and become a merchant marine. Tom desires adventure which he does not have at work or any other part of of his life. To get some sort of escape from reality Tom goes to the movies to have some sort of adventure. Tom finally gets his chance to leave when his mother says that if he can find his sister a husband then he can go off and do what he wants. “I go to the movies because I like adventure. Adventure is something I don’t have much of at work, so I go to the movies.” (Sc.4, p.1170)

Grimes 2
Tom also seems to me to be a very determined person to some degree. Tom does not care to much for his job and he loves his family but does not want to be at home all his life, so he strives to get out of there. Wingfield is a strong person and can handle his situation but just desires to be on some sort of adventure. He is determined to have some sort of adventure and his way of doing that is sneaking out to the movies. When his mother ,Amanda ,gives him the option to find

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