Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Two Questions on "The Glass Menagerie" Due Wednesday, November 21

Verbal irony is used in Tom's last speech of Scene 3. This speech contains elements of humour as well as bitterness. In a paragraph of about 125 words, agree or disagree with this statement.



Give two themes that are suggested in Scene 4. For each theme statement (a single sentence), provide supporting details. Write as a short answer instead of a paragraph.

21 comments:

Victoria said...

Irony
I do agree that Tom’s speech in Scene 3 contains both humour and bitter. This is the speech of desperation. This is his way of saying how tired he is of his mother suspicions. She’d rather believed in the idiotic lye like he is a member of a drug gang, than understand that a young man needs more than working hard in a warehouse, to provide the whole family, and spent time at home with her constant criticism. He makes up nicknames for him to make it sound even more ridicules than it is. Many people hide themselves behind the shield of humour to make themselves less vulnerable. Tom is the same. Instead of talking turkey with his mother he uses unbelievable funny stories. However, they don’t make you laugh; they make you think deeper of Tom’s bitter life.


Themes for the Scene 4

In Scene 4 for the first time in whole play two oppositions (mother and son) met in a straight talk. From this talk the reader gets the complete picture of Tom’s character. He tells his mother about his feelings, not that she understands it, but he needed to speak out to relive himself. He told her a reason why he goes to the movies that often (to get adventure in his life, more colour), to escape from ordinariness.

Amanda decided to start the conversation with Tom about his life and Laura in Scene 4. The reason she does it is to make sure he won’t live them along and make him, in case he is planning to escape (she knows hi is), to find a substitution for himself, somebody to take care of Laura and Amanda herself.

Brad said...

Victoria,

Your answer for irony is good.

For theme, however, I don't see any statement of a general truth in your answer. What exactly do your examples show to us about a truth we can find in our own experiences?

Margaret said...

1.
It is difficult for me to agree or disagree with Tom’s arguments. Yes, I would like to defend Tom, when he became angry at his mother for returning his book to the library without his knowledge. He, as an adult, has the rights to read and chose books he prefers. Amanda, who only heard that the book is inappropriate, but didn’t read it shouldn’t decide for Tom what he may read. On the other hand, I agree with Amanda to be concern at Tom’s instant escapades to “the movies”. She doesn’t want him to be a drunker. Living with disabled daughter, without husband’s support, in the times of Great Depression, makes her worried not only of her son’s future, but also about the whole family. I understand Tom wants to run away from the responsibility of being the-only-men and have his “OWN” life, but I also understand Amanda of taking care of her family. She’s just concerned mother.

2.
Escaping from reality doesn’t solve the problems.
Tom, after stormy argue with his mother, goes for a drink, but he doesn’t escape from the problems he was struggling with. The next day, realizing that the whole word-battle was unnecessary, he apologizes Amanda and both start honestly talking about their feelings they keep deep in their hearts.

Love for the weakest member brings family together.
Tom changes his attitude after Laura asks him to apologize mother.He loves Laura and he also knows that getting along with the family is more important that his “OWN” life. Amanda knows that Tom wants to be independent, but she needs him to help his sister to find a husband. They both love Laura and both want to help her.

KERI said...

Scene 3
I can understand and agree tom’s speech; these humor and bitter statements are a release from his long time depressed moods. Tom has been tortured by the thought of pursuit freedom or staying at home taking care of his family. When her mother irritates him again, he can’t control himself and roars so many fake words to respond her mother. He deliberately marshals many evil things to stimulate and hurt his mother. This is a kind of his eruption. Anyone can do this when his or hers nerve stays in an extreme state. The war is unavoidable with the development of the ambivalence between Amanda and Tom. However, anyhow, as a son, he shouldn’t be so rude to his mother. After all, Amanda is kind hearted, she just thinks her son is wrong and wants to correct him. His statements can deeply prick her mother.

Scene 4:

1.The most greatest thing in the world is the love of a mother.
When Amanda and Tom are still in a state of war, She can’t forget to prepare coffee for her son. She is afraid of the hot coffee will affect her son’s health. She knows that her son wants to leave them but all her wants is how to guarantee her daughter a safe and happy future other than herself. Therefore, I feel Amanda’s love is everlasting and immutable.

2.Retreating a pace sometimes can make our life better.
Tom’s behavior in this family strife is worth studying. He is very angry at her mother’s ceaselessly disturbing his life. But when this quarrelling attains to peak, Tom can in time concede his faults and console her mother. Alike, Amanda responds Tom’s action quickly and is more kind to her son. Thus, a family crisis is settled out by virtue of two people’s giving in to each other.

Lola said...

In scene three, poor Tom can not stand the suffering life and the pressure from his mother, so he finally bursts out to his mother. He enrages her intentionally. He describes him like a devil that probably comes from some movies to satirize his mother’s suspiciousness. The portrait is irony and humour such as “Killer Wingfield” and “an honest warehouse worker.” He portrays a terrible person to destroy her expectation, to hurt her feeling, to return his pain that he gets it from her. The most humour and bitter part is about “you go up … over Blue Mountain with seventeen gentlemen callers.” Imaging this picture, it would be funny, but also very sad. In fact, those sharp words must upset his mother deeply; he knows that, so he uses it. Through Tom’s fierce speech, readers would get strong echo and sympathy to this pity family. (146 words)

The scene four, one theme is: it was painful and contradictory feeling for people if they want to abandon a struggled family and get free personally. Tom tries to solve his conflict depending on drunk because he can not leave his mother and sister easily even though he always wishes to escape them soon.
Another one: Most of mothers have never give up and do their best to creat a better condition for their kids. Amanda has to face the reality and try to compromise with Tom to arrange her disability daughter’s future. She asked Tom to take a gentleman caller for his sister, then, she will let him go.

Victoria said...

Themes for the Scene 4
I hope I get it right this time )


In arguments people like to talk about their feelings; however they forget to listen about opponent’s feelings. Tom tells his mother about his feelings, not that she understands it, but he needed to speak out to relive himself. He told her a reason why he goes to the movies that often (to get adventure in his life, more colour), to escape from ordinariness. She, instead of trying to understand and accept, criticizes him in every matter. She started the talk in order to get closer to him, to get more information about her own son, but all she did is distanced herself from him even more.

You shouldn’t get the independence, success, and confidence at the expense of somebody else’s.
Amanda is trying to convince Tom not to live them along because of Laura’s helplessness. She forces him to find a man to whom he can pass Laura and herself. She makes him dependent on their lives, but he already does a lot, and sacrifices a lot for them. For her asking him for more is a very selfish thing; although she does it mostly for Laura.

Zhi said...

Tom’s Irony
Tom’s last speech of Scene 3 in the play “The Glass Menagerie” is verbal irony. Excepting for desperation, I can not find any element of humour in this speech. Even though Tom is very upset because of having the stress from his job and mother, he does not have to talk to his mother with this way. His speech, actually, seriously hurts Amanda’s mind. If he needs to show his bad mood to Amanda because of opposition to her mistrust, he ought to directly tell his mother that he is not able to support this family continuously and wants to escape from the family. However, like a craven, he chooses to enrage his mother. The irony is not funny at all.

Themes for Scene 4

Mother is always more tender than her children. After arguing with Tom, Amanda seems insisting not to talk to Tom excepting for he saying sorry to her. Laura asks Tom to apologize for his disrespect to Amanda, but Tom does not have any reaction for Laura’s advice. Amanda’s speech, “Laura, tell your brother his coffee is ready,”in a special way, show to us she has a merciful mother’s heart.

Everybody has some things that are difficult to be described to others. Because of having different experiences, personalities, backgrounds, and situations, people usually have some individual ideas about something. These opinions, sometimes, are mot easy to be accepted by others. Therefore, when Amanda told Tom there are so many things in her heart that she cannot describe to him, Tom said, “There's so much in my heart that I can't describe to you!”

Claudia said...

Satire Conversation

I totally agree when Tom uses Irony towards his mother in the last speech of scene three. It is obvious why he reacts and confronts her in that manner because Tom is getting burn out with all the arguments and excuses that Amanda has against to him. For example, Tom works and gives economic support to both of them (Amanda, and Laura), and never complaints about the situation, so I don’t see why Amanda should get upset about what Tom does after work. Consequently, he deserves a diversion by going to the, “opium dens”, to distract from his routine. In addition, he loves to read books which Amanda detests. At the end, I highly believe that Tom does not have any intentions to hurt his mom, but he may not have other choice to make her to understanding him.
(144 words)
One theme from scene # 4
Looking for refugee in alcohol won’t resolve any conflict, contrary it would complicate more.
Tom goes to the bar (cinema) every night to escape from reality, but especially from his mom. He is tired of listen, “Rise and Shines”, every morning when he tries to get some sleep, but Amanda seems not to care as she loves to bug him every day.
Second theme from scene # 4
A mother is full of love, and understands every necessity of her own child.
Amanda finally decides to start a conversation with Tom, and is willing to listen even though all the irony Tom told her. She just wants the best for both of her kids, and does not want them to suffer the way that she has done.

vic''ky said...

sorry super busy lately...ill hand in later....

andrew said...

Verbal Irony
I agree .Tom's speech basically mirrors that he is deeply in the midst of agitation and desperation. He can't stand his mother's unreasonable,excess pressure which powers him to intimidate to leave. Instead of telling the truth,Tom chooses a more aggressive way to seemingly let Amanda know what's been going on in his life. This definitely reinforces the understanding of Tom's sad mood. Sometimes using humor as a weapon to defend yourself or express your unsatisfactory might soothe the unpleasant emotion or chronic mental pain as Tom does. Therefore in my opinion,Tom's speech in scene 3 is funny,painfully funny;oh,no,it's only painful.

Themes
Nothing can compete with the emotions between family members.
The irony words,unbearable yelling never have a chance to separate the Wingsfield's unity. I believe Everyone can sense it. Making your parents a coffee or having a fancy dinner with your lover,they might not even remember that you just had a tatoo or didn't show up on your wedding anniversary.

Don't try to ignore responsibility.
Tom has responsibility of taking good care of his lonely mother and timid sister.He accepts Laura's advice to apologize to his mother and accepts Amanda's advice to look for a gentleman for his sister.He isn't escaping at least at this scene. He would feel guilty dreaming Laura's seeking him and the sad candle-blowing after his final decision in the end.

andrew said...

Can I see Brad tomorrow? BTW, I just add my photo.

Jane said...

In the play "The Glass Menagerie", Tom' last speech of scene three is really bitter and humour. In fact, this speech belongs to verbal irony, and it is Tom's last desperate address which reveals that Tom is too depressed to stand the miserable life and stress. He is called "killer Wingfield" and " an honest warehouse worker". He wanders wheather persuing freedom or staying at home. He describes him as a terrible person in order to destroy Amanda's dreams. He is getting burnout, so he deliberately lies to upset and hurt his monther. I feel sad because he chooses this way to enrage his mother.

Jane said...

Themes for scene 4

keeping family unity is more important than others.It is really painful to leave the family for getting free personally. Tom is usually hesitate because sometimes he wants to stay at home, and sometimes he wants to leave the family,so he has to become drunk.

Jane said...

Theme for scene 4:
Nothing is better than the love of mother. Amanda still makes coffee for Tom even though they just fight each other. She does her best to care about her family though she is a single mother, and she has so much stresses.

Jane said...

In the play "The Glass Menagerie", Tom' last speech of scene three is really bitter and humour. In fact, this speech belongs to verbal irony, and it is Tom's last desperate address which reveals that Tom is too depressed to stand the miserable life and stress. He is called "killer Wingfield" and " an honest warehouse worker". He wanders wheather persuing freedom or staying at home. He describes him as a terrible person in order to destroy Amanda's dreams. He is getting burnout, so he deliberately lies to upset and hurt his monther. I feel sad because he chooses this way to enrage his mother.

zara said...

I agree with this statement. Tom frustration of his mother’s disbelief, unrespectable, and demanding behavior makes him to fight back. He starts to argue with his mother. In the argument Tom answers with a sarcastic speech by mentioning all the criminal acts, tries to send a message to his mother that I am old enough and understand how I have to live my life. Tom is a young man and his endurance and his experiences is limited, so he fires back and told his mother a “WITCH” which is a harsh word for a mother. On t he other hand Amanda’s bad experience over loosing her husband and the pressure of her life drives her to an unrealistic and illusion world and she is not able to solve problems in a realistic way.
Themes for scene 4
Tom is looking to find a way to escape from the present situation without hurting anybody. He is even looking for a magic like a “coffin trick” as an option to release himself.
Amanda’s forgiveness after tom’s apology and forgetting the incident makes them closer because he sees how his mother looking for a solution for example finding a husband for her sister to make easier for him to leave.

Ken J said...
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Ken J said...
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Ken J said...

om's lask talk in scene three is a good speech. It means I (Tom)can be even worse than you think if you keep pushing me. Tom, as you son is still a good man comparing to the bad things happening everyday in the world. Don't treat me like a child. The irony is a way to see the positive side of Tom's behavior. As a warehouse worker, you can not be real evil or “El Diablo”. A little of freedom and trust should be good for Amenda's attitude toward Tom. Unfortunately, mother did not look after Tom well.
.
On scene four, Laura open door for his brother and take off his shoes and put the quilt on and make him to sleep. It is a irony action to their mother. Laura is the angel in the hell. If not Laura, Tom might leave his mother when he is 18. It is the first interesting theme for me. The second one is coffee theme. It is humor and fun.

zara said...

Themes for scene 4
Escape maybe is a quick solution for a personal problem but is not a solution for family. Tom is looking to find a way to escape from the present situation without hurting anybody. He is even looking for a magic like a “coffin trick” as an option to release himself.
In general, mother’s forgiveness and devotion is a God given gift and works unconditionally. Amanda’s forgiveness after tom’s apology and forgetting the incident makes them closer because he sees how his mother looking for a solution for example finding a husband for her sister to make easier for him to leave.

vic''ky said...

I agree that Tom’s speech in Scene 3 contains both humour and bitter. He is joking about the whole speech. It is funny that he said he was doing some crazy things every single night. Because of it sounds ridiculous and unbelievable. It is so unrealistic for everybody to laugh. The joke makes his mom shocked. Since he is a grown man, he doesn’t want his mom care about too much. However, his mom is bugging him, so Tom is pissed off. He is in bad mood from his mom, then, he hurts her back. This process is like a cycle. His mom is disappointed so that she is keeping bothering him and he is keeping hurt her. How bitter it is!

“Mother is always mother.”
Mother always cares about children’s life, even though after arguing. She cares little tiny things like what kind of coffee you drink.

“As a member of family, we help each other.”
When Tom’s mom asked for him to introduce some work fellows to his sister, he accepted. He is a selfish guy, but he is pleased to help his sister.