The Effects of Mood Disorders in “The Glass Menagerie”

The Effects of Mood Disorders in “The Glass Menagerie”

The characters within the short drama “The Glass Menagerie” written by Tennessee Williams, “have been [ separately ] discussed by many critics” since its introduction in 1945 ( Grafe 3 ) . These unfavorable judgments normally introduce the reader to each character’s alone personality traits, defects and personal battles. However, few have taken a expression at the psychological effects caused by the symptoms of temper upsets that each character shows. Through a expression at these effects the reader can get down to understand how these symptoms have caused mental and emotional “damage” to each of these characters ; and “due to [ their ] unusual. . . behavior ” the type of psychological and sociological get bying mechanisms they use to cover with these issues ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 13 ) . Furthermore, the reader will besides understand why these upsets exist in the Wingfield household.

The most talked about, criticized and the chief character in the drama is Amanda. She is a individual female parent who is described as possessing “tyrannical” traits which consist of being “terrible. . . smothering. . . and restricting” ( Grafe 3, Napieralski 394 ) . Harmonizing to Daley and Douaihy, these traits are linked to the symptoms of depression and bipolar upsets and the cause of “ [ s ] ome of the specific negative effects on. . . households. . . and identified as. . . an emotional load on families” and consist of choler, misgiving, concern and fright. ( 13 ) An illustration of these temper upset symptoms can be observed at the beginning of Scene I, as Amanda tries to teach Tom on how to eat by stating him,

“Honey, don’t push with your fingers. If you have to force with something, the thing to

push with is a crust of staff of life. And chew I¶ chaw! . . . Eat nutrient at leisure, boy, and truly

bask it. . . masticate your nutrient and give your salivary secretory organs a opportunity to map! ” ( 182 )

ensuing in Tom acquiring angry and go forthing the tabular array.

The reader can acknowledge these symptoms throughout the drama every bit good. One can see this when Amanda expresses that she worries and frights that Tom will go forth her and Laura without any type of fiscal support when she says, “Oh, I can see the composing on the wall every bit obviously as I see the olfactory organ in forepart of my face! It’s terrorizing! ( 200 ) . One can besides feel the choler she feels as she talks about her hubby abandoning the household, “Then [ he ] left! Goodbye! And me with the bag to hold” she says ( 200 ) . Harmonizing to Hudson-Allez, these state of affairss lead to “cognitive distortions” [ in which a individual can ] “become trapped into, which maintains the hurt in their relationships” ( 152 ) . This includes the “over-generalization” that Amanda uses to compare work forces as being all the same, and comparing Tom to his male parent ( 152, Williams 199-200 ) . Through this behavior the reader can see that Amanda is doing psychological harm to her kids and can get down to detect marks of an inappropriate relationship with Tom. Amanda is dependent of Tom as the household supplier but at the same clip she still treats him like a kid. She besides verbally abuses Tom, for case when she calls him a “biga-¬IDIOT” ( 191 ) . In add-on, she ignores him after their statement about Tom desiring to hold some control in the “house, ” and about who pays the rent ; besides the state of affairs with the library books and the limitations she wants to enforce on him ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 51 ; Williams 192, 197, 200 ) . Daley writes that this struggle “in turn can do [ a individual ] feel guilty and black and even do [ their ] depression worse” ( 51 ) . Much like Amanda expresses after Tom apologizes to her and she says, “ ( sobbingly ) . My devotedness has made me a enchantress and so I make myself hateful to my children” ( Williams 197 ) .

During the statement between Amanda and Tom, one can see how “the violent voices” trigger the symptoms of a temper upset as Laura “stands with [ her custodies clenched ] and [ a ] panicked expression” on her face ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 13, Williams 191 ) . Laura’s physical reaction is related to symptoms associated with an anxiousness upset ( Carnwath & A ; Miller 369 ) . Some symptoms consist of going unsociable and withdrawn from societal brushs due to “an irrational fright of being in state of affairss which. . . affect frights talking, or composing in public, or taking tests” ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 54, Feldman 402 ) . Like when Laura “ [ dropped out of ] Rubicam’s Business College. . . [ because ] Her hands shook. . . [ and ] she couldn’t hit the right keys! . . . [ during ] a velocity trial [ and ] she broke down wholly I¶ was ill at the tummy and about had to be carried into the wash room! ” ( Williams 187 ) . Laura is described as “crippled. . . [ neglecting ] to set up contact with world, [ go oning ] to populate vitally in her semblances. . . [ and ] finely fragile” ( 179 ) . These symptoms are considered “disabilities. . . or physical restrictions [ that make it hard to accept or set ] to. . . world ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 51 ) . The reader can besides see that Laura besides has “a inclination toward negative pessimistic thought, weakness, self-criticism, overstating the significance of jobs, [ and ] low self-esteem” [ which are ] temper upset symptoms associated with depression ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 52 ) . Such as when Laura says things like, “I’m merely non popular. . . I couldn’t face it. . . [ and ] ( in a tone of scared apology ) . I’m I¶ crippled” and when she tells Jim, “I had that brace on my leg I¶ that clumped so loud! ” ( Williams 185, 188-189, 224 ) . Many critics have questioned the bounds of Laura’s cognitive abilities but Beattie’s critical rating argues that Laura understands her physical bounds, “accepts her ain altered psychological fortunes and that she emerges as the emotionally strongest household member” at the terminal.

Tom is introduced as and is the storyteller in the drama every bit good as the character that plays Amanda’s boy ( Williams 179 ) . marks of temper upsets – defeat, choler irresponsible, smoke and intoxicant, inordinate engagement in enjoyable activities.

Jim is described as “A Nice, ordinary, immature man” during the character debut of the drama ( Williams 179 ) . Signs of upsets inordinate speaking, addition in purposive activity ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 13 ) . Attraction to Laura is conditional.

The effects of the temper upsets consequences in each character holding to trust on to their psychological header mechanisms. Amanda copes with her depression by maintaining herself busy outside of her place. She attends the D.A.R. meetings in which she “was suppose to be inducted into. . . office [ that ] afternoon” leting the reader to see she has a societal life, and by holding her magazine concern ( Williams 185-186, 190-191 ) . These get bying schemes allow Amanda to accept portion of the state of affairs she faces and understands them, but she is unwilling to accept the fortunes in its entirety. Laura copes with her anxiousness upset and depression by withdrawing to her record player during nerve-racking times and she uses it as a curative scheme to quiet her nervousnesss ( Bruscia 5-6 ) . She besides uses her glass aggregation as an mercantile establishment from world and she had been go forthing the flat pretense to travel to school ( 187 ) . The reader can see that Laura is capable of working in certain societal state of affairss ; she goes to the films, art museum, the menagerie, to the food market shop and buys tiffin, in which she interacts with others ( Williams 188, 196 ) . Tom copes with his bipolar upset by withdrawing to the fire flight or behind the portieres merely to acquire off from Amanda’s onslaughts ( 183, 202 ) . He besides goes to the films, writes poesy, drinks intoxicant and smokes coffin nails as his get bying schemes ( 192, 195, 203 ) . Tom understands the state of affairs and wants to get away and prosecute his phantasy of escapade ( 199 ) . Jim’s get bying mechanisms allows him to work usually in societal scenes. He understands and accepts his ain state of affairs and has programs to break his hereafter. After Jim leaves the Wingfield’s flat, to travel meet with his fiance Betty, one can merely presume he goes back to his normal life ( 236 ) .

At the terminal the reader can see that even Jim, the most normal character in the drama, is capable to the effects of temper upsets. The reader can besides see that Amanda is the chief cause of her children’s temper upsets but there is a ground behind these effects. Harmonizing to research these temper upsets are non caused through Amanda’s attitude, or her intervention of Tom and Laura. These upsets are biological factors that are heredity and are passed down through the cistrons from coevals to coevals ( Daley & A ; Douaihy 51 ) . One can besides see that even though Laura has changed and her cognitive abilities are non wholly limited. She does non recognize or is cognizant that without some type of psychological aid with her anxiousness upset, she will non be able to work at a normal interacting degree in society.

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