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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 6 page paper discusses the roles that Tom plays in “The Glass Menagerie,” where he is a character, the narrator and also performs some of the duties of a stage manager. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HV676448.rtf
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listed below. Citation styles constantly change, and these examples may not contain the most recent updates. The Multiple Roles of Tom in "The Glass Menagerie" Research
Compiled by K. Von Huben 7/2010 Please Introduction The Glass Menagerie has proven to be an
enduringly popular play. Not as sensational as A Streetcar Named Desire, it offers just as bleak a portrait of a family struggling to survive as they watch their dreams slip
away. This paper discusses the triple role played by Tom, the narrator and some-time stage manager of the play, as well as a character in it. Discussion The play
takes place entirely in Toms memory, which can be tricky, as memory is notoriously unreliable. Human memory is selective: we tend to recall the things that were the most pleasurable
or the most painful, and give them more importance that they actually have. We may remember with pain a death that took place years ago and yet virtually ignore a
wonderful vacation we took last year. This means that the entire play has a certain unreliability to it, as does Toms narration. Because of the nature of the play, Tom
has to be considered an unreliable narrator. Edgar Allan Poe was notorious for using this device: he would relate a story from a characters point of view, only to reveal
that the narrator is the murderer or mad or both. We cannot trust what Tom shows us through his memory; we can be sure that the episode of the "gentleman
caller" is one of the most important of his life. Critics generally acknowledge that Tom is Williams alter ego, and as such the idea that he plays three roles makes
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