A Mother's Misinterpreted Love

When I was reading The Glass Menagerie, I had a recurring thought of how nagging Amanda, the mother was. How silly she was with her preaching of chewing food, brushing out cowlicks and her lack of imagination. She was constantly confused on why her children were dreamers. Tom seemed caged in by her, resented her for having to "take care" of them. But I tool the time to dive deeper into my thoughts of Amanda and I decided she is misunderstood. I reread and part of the play that created a light of her that was not shown in other parts.

"Try and you will succeed...why, you are just full of natural endowments! Both of my children-they're unusual children..dont you think I know? I'm so...Proud..Happy and - feel I've so much to be thankful for....."

As a mother, this particular quote gave me the feeling that she just loves them. She knows that they are individuals with self containing souls,, but she wants to do them right. The problem with being a parent is you want your children to make all the right decisions. You want them to never feel pain, or loss or disappointment. To you, it is your job, your duty to guide them to make all the right choices and what you believe to be the right choices. Amanda has a full heart and she just wanted to guide her children to make the right choices that would create happiness. Where Amanda went wrong is the fact that she remains open to the idea that what is or was right for her may not be right for Tom or Laura. Tom looks at his mother as an obstacle but she really just grew up in a different time in a different way and cannot understand Tom's reasoning. Through the play you wonder if history will repeat and Tom will leave, but as he walks away his Laura is there, and he doesnt stray far. Amanda's character was betrayed as forceful reins that were holding Tom back, but really I think she was who raised her children(alone) gave them the spirit and wings to fly but in the end fell short out of misunderstanding. She just wanted to hold together a broken family tree... how can you ask for anything more or less?

Submitted by Monica Baker