The character Jim OConner in The Glass Menagerie is of the gentleman company. Tom describes Jim in his opening soliloquy as the most realistic character in the drama, being an envoy from a universe of world that we were someway set apart from. ” ( 858 ) Jim is portrayed as holding qualities that are fantastic and without any defects. These qualities are demonstrated by Jim up until the really terminal of the drama when his true features are to the full revealed through his actions.
Jim is an familiarity of Tom and Laura from when they were in high school. He was really popular during his clip at Soldan High School. He now works as a transportation clerk for a shoe warehouse where Tom and Jim end up become better friends. It is the same shoe warehouse Tom works for. Jim is the gentleman company who is invited to dinner by Tom, and who Amanda is trusting will be a future hubby for Laura. Tom candidly feels that Jim is different from all the members of the Wingfield household because he is confronting world alternatively of life in denial of it.
Jim was an outstanding success in high school “ He was hiting with such speed through his adolescence that you would logically anticipate him to get at nil short of the White House by the clip he was 30 ” ( 879 ) and everyone idea he would win in life. He is presently working as a transportation clerk, which is merely a somewhat better place than Tom ‘s. However, Jim is a cheerful, optimistic immature adult male, who is determined to acquire in front in life. He is analyzing public speech production and wireless technology at dark school, and wants to travel into the fledgeling telecasting industry. “ I believe in the hereafter of telecasting! I wish to be ready to travel up right along with it. Therefore I ‘m be aftering to acquire in on the land floor. In fact I ‘ve already made the right connexions and all that remains is for the industry itself to acquire under manner! Full steam – Knowledge – Zzzzzp! Money – Zzzzzp! – Power! That ‘s the rhythm democracy is built on. ” ( 894 )
When he has dinner with the Wingfield household, Jim tries his best to pull Laura out of her shell. He ends up being the lone character able to interrupt through into Laura ‘s secret universe. He seems to be the most sincere individual in the drama and seems to be really honorable and friendly. The reader is made to experience they can swear him. Jim ‘s character seems to come to life in his conversation with Laura. Even though he is ordinary, it is contact with the ordinary that Laura needs. It is non surprising that ordinary seems to be impressiveness to Laura. Since Laura had known Jim in high school when he was considered the all-American male child, she could ne’er convey herself to look on him now in any manner other than exceeding. He is the one male child that she has had a crush on and he is her ideal dream.
In the candle flame conversation Jim has with Laura he becomes wrapped up in live overing his ain yesteryear. He seems to one time once more think that he is that high school hero who swept the misss off their pess. Due to the fact that Jim has become engrossed in playing the function of high school hero and besides recreational head-shrinker, he failed to see what emotions he was constructing up in Laura. Jim merely had an honest desire to assist Laura with her shyness. He is evidently really drawn to Laura in a romantic sense every bit good. He admits this to her while depicting her beauty ” In all respects-believe me! Your eyes- your hair- are reasonably! Your custodies are reasonably! ” ( 896 ) how she makes him experience different than any other miss does. “ I wish that you were my sister. I ‘d learn you to hold some assurance in yourself. The different people are non like other people, but being different is nil to be ashamed of. Because other people are non such fantastic people. They ‘re one hundred times one 1000. You ‘re one times one! They walk all over the Earth. You merely remain here. They ‘re common as – weeds, but – you – good, you ‘re – Blue Roses! ” ( 896 )
To Laura Jim has ever been and still is fantastic and exceeding. He is so different from her universe that he appears to be the award she has been hankering to win. Since Laura lives in a universe of semblance, he is her knight in reflecting armour. Jim ‘s desires run off with him and he makes the error of snoging Laura. He makes her bosom swells up with love affair merely to pierce it with the revelation that he is engaged to be married.
Laura is like a piece of her glass menagerie. She is delicate and needs to be treated really carefully. When she states “ Glass interruptions so easy. No affair how careful you are ” she is giving foresight into the events that will blossom. Jim has broken her without recognizing it. “ You think of yourself as holding the lone jobs, as being the lone 1 who is disappointed. But merely look around you and you will see tonss of people every bit defeated as you are. ” ( 891 ) The most accurate description of Jim comes near the terminal of the drama when Jim refers to himself as a “ stumble-john. “ ( 897 )
