Glass Menagerie Essay

The motive for characters to escape from their reality is to discover adventure. In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Tom and his mother get into an argument because Tom is never home. He explains to his mother, Amanda how he has been going to the movies. This leaves Amanda astonished as she angrily questions Tom on why he is always going to the movies. Tom states, “I go to the movies because- I like adventure. Adventure is something I don’t have much of at work, so I go to the movies.” (Williams, 33) Here, Tom is explaining to his mother and sister why he always goes to the movies. He explains he goes because he has the desire to find excitement because his work is often lifeless and tedious. Williams uses the phrase, “Adventure is something I don’t have much of at

“The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. The commander stared at the ice forming on the pilot window. He walked over and twisted a row of complicated dials. ”Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” he shouted. “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” repeated Lieutenant Berg. “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” shouted the Commander. “Full strength in No. 3 turret.” The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurtling eight- engined Navy hydroplane, looked at each other and grinned.” (Thurber, 1) Here, Walter Mitty is excitingly and hazardously flying in a Navy hydroplane with the goal of making it through the storm. Thurber uses the literary device of onomatopoeia in the phrase, “The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa.” to add tension and to give the readers a more lively effect of the adventure he is going on, making it seem as if they are with him flying in the hydroplane. In essence, Walter Mitty had the motive to escape his reality to find adventure, as shown when flying the hydroplane. He leaves his reality to escape from the daily hardships he faces between his community people and wife and nuisance they bring to