People have hope and expectations for a good life. They dream of better careers, relationships, and economic status. However, sometimes the harsh realities of life can be proof of shuttered dreams. Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie, and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, are both memory plays which dive in characters’ subconscious to express the distraction caused by failure to achieve the ideal American dream. The authors used poetic and expressionist language to produce an artistic expression of the inner workings of their characters (Naghdipour 147). The two plays have various similarities, such as dysfunctional families and the failure by various characters. Although there are external pressures and individual differences straining the characters, they choose to ignore the reality and escape their fantasy.
Psychologists and researchers have long studied their client’s detachment from reality and the destructive pleasures it brings. Notably, engrossment in the fictional world enables detachment from the mundane reality, which allows entrance into an alternative world (Irimiás 1). Notably, people try to escape the real world when it causes negative emotions, especially those that emanate from loss. The psychological aspect of results in a claustrophobic state which causes individuals to see their time and space as limiting. Thus, the hope of ever achieving the desired life is limited due to time constraints.
The families in both literatures feel entrapped in their surroundings, which causes them to have an urgent need to escape. For instance, the apartment where the Wingfield family lives is described as “hive-like conglomerations of cellular living-units that flower as warty growth in
overcrowded urban centers of lower-middle-class” (Williams 223). The description given depicts an image of tiny houses in an overcrowded town. The fact that the environment is suffocating makes the inhabitants want to escape.
Similarly, the characters in the Death of a Salesman live in a little house amidst soaring apartment buildings. During of their conversation, Willy asks Linda to open the windows, and she ironically responds that they are all open (Miller 2114). Willy regretfully remarks that there is not a breath of clean air in the neighborhood. They continue to complain about how things have changed for the worse. It is the horrific situation that makes the family wish for an escape, even if it is psychological.
In both scenarios, the loss of unrestrained space and spatial pressure produces a sense of external suffocation. However, it is apparent the congestions are a reflection of the inner pressure that the characters feel. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom opts to find space from all the pressures by leaving his job and family for the sake of peace of mind. He uses an escape-avoidance strategy which is characterized by leaving the place where the conflict emanates (Nensia 117). Amanda is talking to Tom when he suddenly remarks that he is not going to hear anymore, and he walks out on her (Williams 759). He can no longer contain the toxic pressure from his family. Thus, the emotional stress and feelings of exhaustion makes him to try and find peace by escaping the realities.
Relatedly, Willy finds solace and justification by escaping his hurtful life experiences into death. He has tried seeking advice on how to escape the sad realities without success. For instance, during one of his imaginary conversations, he tells Ben that he has been waiting for him for too long and needs to know the secret (Miller 2130). He feels inadequate and relies upon the constant approval from his wife to have a sense of relevance. However, he eventually becomes frustrated with life and hopes for an escape.
The other character that uses escape from reality as a coping strategy against the life struggles in The Glass Menagerie is, Laura. Notably, Amanda laments about all the efforts she made to make Laura more willing to socialize. Specifically, she opened a business for her and made her join the Young People’s League at the church, but it was all in vain (William 763). Laura refused to associate with nobody and was always playing some old records. Her reserved life is a way of escaping from reality and her troubled emotions.
Amanda remains worried about Laura’s situation and is unwilling to give up hope of seeing her prosper. Particularly, she fantasizes about Laura finding a suitor and getting married and decides to ask Tom for help. Her wishful thinking is evident in the statement, “Find out one that’s clean-living, doesn’t drink and ask him…. (William 764). Her fantasy about finding a good man fails to appreciate the unmatching character of Laura. She feels frustrated when she realizes that her dreams are shattered.
Although Linda loves her husband, her tendency to approve and support him in everything appears to have done him more harm. For example, whenever Willy had self-doubt in the past, his wife always gave reassurance that he is a good salesman (Naghdipour 148). Particularly, Linda referred to her husband as the most handsome man in the world. He had an affair that affected their son Biff psychologically, but she ignored everything.
Willy has fantasies and wishful thinking, knowing he will never achieve the American dream. He wishes that he can own something outright before it breaks and feels that he is always in a race with the junkyard (Miller 2141). The reality is that he has not been able to sustain anything in life. His family is dysfunctional, and he is not doing well at the work. He fantasizes about a better life where he can be in control and maintain the wholeness. Noteworthy, Willy’s idea of the American dream was characterized by material things and beauty. Yet, she does not realize that she has placed a high value on mere illusions and myths (Miller 2143). Miller stops living in reality as he dwells on the fancies about an American Dream created in his imagination.
Noteworthy, the escapism that Tom uses in The Glass Menagerie fails to be successful. After running away from his mother, he realizes that all the retreats he found by distancing from others have made him a solitary person. He still loves his mother and sister but is now isolated as he tries to reconcile his past and present life. Remarkably, Tom was running away from the physical suffocation of the small rooms. He was fantasizing of being in a better place by following in the footsteps of his father but later groans as he admits he longs for Laura (Williams 772). Tom is entrapped by his psychological burden and he keeps thinking about home. Thus, it is apparent from his actions that he is guilty and without solace after managing a physical escape as he landed in an emotional trap.
In the end, Tom opens his eyes to the realities of life and compare the American dream to the movies. He hates the movie because it is a reflection of what society looks like. There are a few glamorous individuals who have all the adventure that they wish, like the Hollywood stars (William 782). However, the rest of the people should sit back and get entertainment from watching others live their best lives. Tom was tired of such a life and wished to find a way to escape instead of continuing with the fantasy. He ends up traveling from town to town without stopping because of some compelling power that makes him restless, just like his dad, who always fell in love with long distances and had to live by making telephone calls. Thus, it is apparent that a life of wishes is like chasing after the wind that remains elusive.
In conclusion the two works of literature depict how people tend to escape from negative experiences. Both works begin with strong symbolism showing the suffocating environment that the characters live. Moreover, in both cases there is a deep sense of loss as they come from a dysfunctional family. Tom manages to escape from his physical realities but end up in a chase. He fantasizes about the American dream but is never able to achieve the life that he wants after leaving his mother and sister. Likewise, Willy lives a desperate life with a deep sense of loss. The fantasies are no longer helpful as he wishes to die.
Works Cited
Irimiás, Anna, et al. “Narrative transportation and travel: The mediating role of escapism and immersion.” Tourism Management Perspectives, vol. 38, 2021, pp. 1-3.
Miller, Arthur. “Death of a Salesman.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Norton & Company, 2003.
Naghdipour, Bakhtiar. “Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie: A Phenomenological Reduction.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, vol. 2, no. 3, 2013, pp. 147-152.
Nensia, ‘. “Escapism as Reflected in Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie.” ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, vol. 1, no. 1, 2018, pp. 110-116.
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. 1973.