Understanding a Central Theme in a Classic Work

In Tennessee William’s memory play titled “The Glass Menagerie,” we are introduced to several characters who each have a unique way of escaping from the reality of their mundane lives. All three members of the Wingfield family use a symbolic placeholder for what they truly want in life. Even the apartment in which Tom, Amanda and Laura Wingfield reside is reminiscent of this nature to get away, since the fire escape located directly outside their door is used a great deal in the comings and goings of the play. Just as the name implies, the fire escape allows the characters to physically remove themselves from the flames of their heated arguments. Moreover, “a blown-up photograph of the father [Mr. Wingfield] hangs on the wall of the living room” (1687). Since Mr. Wingfield was the only character of the play who actually “escaped” with no strings attached, he represents the possibility of freedom. However, at the same time, his absence may also be a cause of great grief to his family members and thus he may also represent the source of their problems. If he would have remained as the breadwinner of the family, maybe Tom, Amanda and Laura would not be so desperate to find an outlet for escape.

Whatever the cause may be, the issue of escapism remains strong in the hearts and minds of Tom, Amanda and Laura. Even the name of the play suggests this, as Laura lives in a world of her own, focused around her glass menagerie, where perfect beauty and harmony is reflected upon the delicate surfaces of her animals. Laura does not ask for much, but rather accepts her dull life and seems to enjoy her fantasy world more than any other character.

As for the protagonist of the story, Tom Wingfield, he wishes to free himself from the figurative chains of his dull factory job and his stressful family situation. Tom longs for adventure and excitement and for the time being, he satisfies his cravings by frequenting the movie theater where he watches actors live the life that he has always dreamed of but could never achieve, due to his family obligations. Tom must carry a great burden as the only remaining male member of the Wingfield household. He must support not only himself, but also his abandoned mother and his introverted and slightly handicapped sister. Early in Scene Four, while talking with Laura about a stage magician Tom relates, “the wonderfullest trick of all was the coffin trick. We nailed him into a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail…. There is a trick that would come in handy for me—get me out of this two-by-four situation…” (1698). In other words, Tom wished to leave his family behind so that he may live his own life to the fullest, yet at the same time he did not want to hurt them or upset the apple cart.

As for Amanda, (both Tom and Laura’s mother) her fantasy world consists of living vicariously though Laura. It is Amanda who constantly reminds Laura of the importance of finding a proper “gentleman caller,” or rather, how to be found by one. Amanda loves to reminisce back to her days of youth as a southern belle. In Scene Six she states, “all of my gentleman callers were sons of planters and so of course I assumed that I would be married to one and raise my family on a large piece of land with plenty of servants” (1715). Unfortunately, Amanda ended up marrying “a telephone man who fell in love with long distance” (1715).

Amanda’s plan to find Laura a gentleman caller seems to backfire in her face, since the more she pushes, the more Laura pulls away. Laura does not have anything significant going for her in terms of education, career possibilities or romances, but as long as she has her glass menagerie she’s fine. Her other outlets of escape are also solitary adventures, whether she is visiting the penguins at the zoo or viewing the tropical flowers in the Jewel Box. Like the penguins, Laura may wish to fit in with the crowd, but deep down she knows that her true nature will always be one-of-a-kind in a similar fashion to the rare flowers.

Even though the Wingfield characters that we have discussed thus far seem to exhibit the strongest desires of escapism, the final character we have yet to mention, Jim O’Connor, also wishes to escape from his current situation. Jim believes that by studying public speaking and radio engineering he will transform himself into an icon of success in the television industry, which is something he has always wanted. Jim seems to be the most focused of all of the characters, due to his logical vision of the future. Nevertheless, his desire to be successful in both business and in life is a subtle way of escaping from the reality of working in a shoe factory.

In conclusion, we see now that “The Glass Menagerie” is filled with characters who long for something that they believe is better, but it is only Mr. Wingfield and Tom who actually set their plan in motion and “escape.” As for Mr. Wingfield, he is but a distant mystery. For Tom however, we see in the final moments of the play just how much he is haunted by his decision to leave home. In the last scene, he says, “Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! I reach for a cigarette, I cross the street, I run into the movies or a bar, I buy a drink, I speak to the nearest stranger—anything that can blow your candles out” (1729). Although he still tries, it is difficult for Tom to completely move on as his father and that’s probably a good thing, because in reality, if all we ever do is run from the people we love, where does that get us other than in a worse predicament than before? Hopefully Tom, Amanda and Laura eventually realized that their best form of “escape” would have been to bond together as a family united upon the common goal of supporting each other in all that life has to offer.

Works Cited

Anthology of American Literature. Ed. George McMichael and James Leonard. 9th ed. Vol. II. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2007.

If you want to understand success, this is a great place to start. Also, as with any Gladwell book, you’ll learn a great deal of interesting facts and tidbits of information about everything from aerodynamics to hockey along the way.

As I began reading “Who Moved My Cheese,” I kept reminding myself to slow down, so as to savor every word and contemplate every thought. Nevertheless, before I knew it, I had finished the book and without pause I did something I haven’t done in a very long time: I re-read it from cover to cover. Upon my second reading, it became clear that the message Dr. Johnson is teaching us relates more with life in general, rather than only with the world of business. In life, “cheese” comes in all varieties, just like the kind of cheese we eat. Some “cheese” may have a strong odor and it takes courage just to try it. Other cheeses are not complete, in that they are filled with many holes. Yet other cheeses get better with age, but to the uninformed, their outward appearance gives the impression that they have spoiled. I could go on and on with the cheese analogy, but the point should be clear; the changes we make in life are not always easy. Some changes involve risk, some seem like they’ll never work and yet others are misleading at first glance. What Dr. Johnson tells us is that rather than whine over the specific “cheese” that we’ve been dealt, let’s go out and find the cheese we want.

Finding the cheese is not always easy, because we don’t always know what we want. Because of this, many people take the easy way out and stumble through life while forgetting the fact that we are in control of our own successes and failures. What it comes down to is fear, and as the book points out, we must conquer this fear and take calculated risks at times, or else the “risk” we take by doing nothing is certain failure. As Dr. Johnson put it, “It is safer to search in the maze than remain in a cheeseless situation.” We don’t like to search, because that means hard work, getting lost, asking for help and learning from our mistakes. However, all of these things are necessary if we ever wish to be successful in life or in business.

After having considered all of this, what amazes me is that I never thought about such complex concepts in such simple terms prior to reading “Who Moved My Cheese?” A truly great teacher is someone who can take a complex subject and simplify it while improving on the basic message. Combine that skill with the ability to motivate and captivate the reader and the end result is Spencer Johnson. His compact book will go down in history as a terrific gem built around sound advice that works for all of us.

So now that I understand the dynamics of change, I plan on incorporating them into my own life. Whenever I find myself cruising through life hemming and hawing about one thing or another, I’ll remind myself that success does not come easy, nor does it stay in one place for long. For example, the strategies and knowledge I have acquired thus far in my college education may help me find a job, but a degree does not guarantee I’ll keep it. On the other hand, if I commit myself to being a lifelong learner, I can anticipate change by staying alert and then adapt almost effortlessly to the new environment. In this respect, change is welcomed when it is understood. For with change comes the adventure of moving confidently into a fresh chapter of life with new challenges and new rewards. Moreover, successful change brings the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve not only improved our own standing, but have also made the world a better place, by proving that virtually anything is possible with the right formula for success.

Works Cited

Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? New York: Putnam, 1998.

As someone who was homeschooled (or unschooled) from the fourth grade and up, I can personally relate to Bach’s message; that if learning is the goal, our best teacher is our own curiosity and the classroom is the world all around us.