The Glass Tower Character Analysis

In “The Glass Tower” by Reinaldo Arenas, Alfredo, the main character, escapes his native country and currently lives in Miami. He is a writer that tirelessly goes to endless parties in his honor while being unable to write a story involving characters that are begging to be written down. Alfredo attends a big party where his characters, floating in his head, appear to come alive and do as they please. Alfredo’s identity is shown to be lacking and ungenuine due to his struggle to express his thoughts, being financially unstable, and how he wants to appear to others.

Alfredo is first shown to be lacking and ungenuine because of his struggle to express his thoughts. In the beginning of the story, the readers find out that Alfredo is undergoing

The author shows in the text how the people at the parties are of a high class with many expectations at Alfredo. Those expectations are what makes Alfredo ungenuine about himself because he is doing things that are not really himself. The author states,”Thus, Alfredo found himself caught in an intricate web: he was well aware that if he continued to accept the endless flow of invitations, he would never write another word, and if he hadn’t, his prestige…(4)” This quote shows the struggle between the social expectations vs his own expectations and what he wants. And the outcome of this struggle has been that he must meet the social expectations which make what he is doing ungenuine. The author later points out,” ‘I know exactly what you mean,’ Alfredo agreed mechanically, distracted by his characters, who were now struggling on the other side of the glass” (24). This quote shows how when Alfredo chooses to meet the social expectations the struggle between what he wants and what he does escalates. It is shown in this quote that Alfredo is becoming unable to ignore the thoughts which are only an outcome when someone is ungenuine to himself about what he wants and does. In conclusion, Alfredo’s struggle with social expectations is shown to make him ungenuine because it forces him to do things that he doesn’t want.
The Main character alfredo is shown in the short story