In Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, the narrator conceives of art as a respite from the grim monotony of reality. Art, in this conception, is a means that allows us to interpret reality. Tom, the narrator of the work, consciously creates art in an attempt to subjectively redefine the present moment and as a mechanism for dealing with the problems in his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Tom copes with the boredom of his daily life by using art as an escape. He supports his mother and paralyzed sister alone by doing a thankless job in a shoe factory. At home Tom is the manager of the house, but at the factory Tom is little more than a robot. In this suffocating environment, Tom's individuality is reduced to almost absolute anonymity. He has no great motivation or pride in his life and turns to art to fill his emotional void. Tom's mother Amanda proclaims, "You live in a dream; you create illusions! Where are you going?" (1999) to which Tom replies, "I'm going to the movies" (1999). Rather than stay and face the reality of his life, Tom chooses to go to the theater and live vicariously through the fictional lives of the film's characters. In reality, Tom assembles shoes, used as padding and protection for his feet as he travels from point to point. . Yet, to escape the boredom of his life, Tom fills his reality with the dreamlike nature of movies. Furthermore, when Amanda asks Tom where he is going, she implicitly questions his direction in life. Tom cannot answer and only replies that he is going to the cinema. He feels he can go blindly through life as long as these cunning illusions keep away the constant and painful reminders of reality. Tom exclaims, "Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of these instincts are given much play in the warehouse" (1968). He feels trapped in the overbearing structure of the factory because there is no place there for these so-called instincts romanticized by the media. Tom weaves art into his life to satisfy these instincts and to redefine his needs and priorities in life. Tom creates art consciously, as he narrates the work with a subjective approach based on his memory. He describes each event in the work as a scene:[it is] memory and is therefore unrealistic... he omits some details, others are exaggerated, depending on the emotional value of the articles he touches, because memory is mainly located in the heart... .the interior is therefore rather dark and poetic. (1954) Like a film director, Tom weaves dramatic touches into his narrative; what it presents is a subjective distortion of reality. The audience doesn't really know whether or not Tom offers accurate recollections of his story, because the narrator can freely omit and change any aspect as he pleases. For example, when Amanda shares with her children her experience with gentlemen callers, "Tom motions to the music and a point of light on Amanda. Her eyes lift, her face lights up, her voice becomes rich and elegiac" (1956). In Tom's unique perspective of the event, Amanda desperately longs for her past popularity. She becomes a movie star with the spotlight on her face, her features glowing, and she laments her youthful past in a rich, pained voice. However, Amanda's behavior may have been completely different from another individual's perspective. She could have given the impression of being proud and boastful, belittling her daughter for not having had the same success she had had when she was young in courting gentlemen. Tom conveys his personal perspective by editing andeffectively adapting the boundaries of reality to his tastes. He manipulates the qualities of the environment to reflect and focus on the superficial character attributes he deems important. Tom's use of artistic symbolism transforms the intrinsic attributes of his characters, thus. Tom often uses symbolism in his storytelling to eliminate the distinction between reality and illusory art. When Amanda asks her daughter Laura if she has ever liked a boy, "on the dark stage the screen is illuminated with the image of blue roses. The music quiets down. Laura... is washing and polishing her glass collection" (1957). Tom makes the visual and auditory signals coincide with Laura's actions, thus emphasizing some characteristics of her character. By explicitly showing the blue rose symbol as Laura cleans her collection of glass, the narrator removes the aspect of realism from his tale in favor of abstract complexity and depth, as seen in art. He distorts Laura's true identity by juxtaposing her presence with an inanimate object, which he uses to represent her character. Tom also uses a soundtrack to accompany his drama. This form of auditory symbolism adds a dreamlike depth and atmosphere to the scene and provides entertainment value for the audience. Tom states: "I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you an illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (1953). Tom's memory, although altered by his subjective perspective and intertwined artistic symbolism, still represents the essence of truth in a different form. The art Tom presents is not an accurate reflection of reality, but rather a study of the social ramifications of art's impact and influence on personal life and decision making. Tom creates art from his memories in response to popular art in the media. The conflict between his reality and the ideals of happiness portrayed by the media push him to redefine himself to fit this popular standard. Tom states that "In Spain there was the revolution. Here there was only shouting and confusion... This is the social background of the play" (1953). The problems Tom experiences are not well defined or publicized. Experience an internal, rather than external, struggle, with clear sides of good and evil. Tom seeks a life with clearly defined paths and rewards for valor, like the ones he sees in the movies. As he begins to recount the drama of memory, Tom "enters dressed as a merchant seaman... goes to the fire escape... and lights a cigarette" (1953). Based on this quote, it is speculated that Tom joined the army in search of the romantic adventures he witnesses in the films. The time period of this play is post-World War II America, when hundreds of thousands of Americans entered combat in the global arena. However, Tom completely excludes from his memory any mention of this possibly traumatic battle experience. He turns his life into the very art that influenced him in an attempt to redefine his role in society, but ultimately fails to replicate the film-inspired romance and adventure he seeks. Please note: this is just an example. Get a card customization now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay The play that depicts Tom's life is nothing like a movie: there is no happy ending. He abandons his family to escape the boredom of his life and continues to struggle internally. He exclaims: "Oh, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me... I take a cigarette... I run to the cinema or a bar, buy a drink, talk to the nearest stranger - anything that can. Blow out the candles, because nowadays the world is illuminated by lightning"..