The Glass Menagerie

Drama | Tennessee Williams
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Write a short note on Laura Wingfield.

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Write a short note on Laura Wingfield. [2019] ✪✪✪ 

In “The Glass Menagerie” (1944) by Tennessee Williams (1911–1983), Laura Wingfield is the most fragile and emotional character. She lives in a dreamy world, not reality. Through Laura, Williams shows human weakness, innocence, and the pain of being too gentle for life.   

Laura’s Nature and Personality: Laura is the daughter of Amanda and the sister of Tom. She is shy, soft-spoken, and afraid of the outside world. Because of a childhood illness, she walks with a limp. She spends her days cleaning and arranging her glass animals. Williams writes that she is “like a piece of her own glass collection.” This means she is as delicate and easily broken as her toys.

Laura’s World of Glass: Laura’s glass menagerie is her secret world. It protects her from reality. Her favorite figure is the glass unicorn. It symbolizes her uniqueness and beauty. When

Jim dances with her and breaks its horn, she says gently,

“Now he will feel more at home with the other horses.”

This line shows her quiet acceptance of pain. Like the unicorn, she loses her special dream when Jim reveals he is engaged.

Laura’s Relationship with Tom and Amanda: Laura loves her brother Tom deeply and depends on him. She never blames him for leaving. When Tom leaves, he says,

“Blow out your candles, Laura — and so goodbye.”

This line shows his sorrow and guilt. Amanda, her mother, wants Laura to be strong, but she cannot change her daughter’s gentle nature. Their love is real but painful. 

Symbol of Fragility and Purity: Laura symbolizes innocence, purity, and the beauty of weakness. Her glass animals represent her soul, bright, tender, and breakable. She lives for beauty, not for survival. Williams uses her to show that some hearts cannot bear the hardness of life.

In Conclusion, Laura Wingfield is the soul of The Glass Menagerie. She is a symbol of love, beauty, and fragility. Her shyness and dreams make her unforgettable. Through Laura, Tennessee Williams expresses his own compassion for all gentle and broken spirits in the world.

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from The Glass Menagerie