Author: lastborn
Last saved by: AbduAlqa

1.	What symbolic meanings have Laura's glass menagerie, particularly the unicorn? ( 2 part answer)
Laura’s favourite figurine, the glass unicorn, is a representation of how Laura is envisioned by Tom. Beautiful but unique and magical. When the glass unicorn is broken by Jim, it no longer becomes a magical creature but a normal horse. Just before Laura is kissed by Jim, the unicorn shatters thereby signalling the impossibility that Laura and Jim can’t be together.  
It is not possible for Laura to exist in Jims’ world without breaking. Laura is a presentation of a broken unicorn as a souvenir to Jim. To Jim, the figurine becomes Laura’s memory when he leaves and returns to his life. Additionally, it is a signification of the normal woman that will never exist of Laura. 
2.	What is Tom's dilemma? Why is he always quarreling with his mother? What is his attitude toward Laura? Why does he finally leave? Does he ever solve his dilemma? ( 1 part answer) 
The dilemma that Tom faces is being stuck. He is unmoving and wishes to move on for things to be better. His family life is compared to a nailed shut coffin. His believe is life to be more adventurous as he needs something more but not caring for his mother and sister only. Tom is always quarrelling with his mother since he comes home drunk when he goes “to the movies.” Additionally he always talks about going away and this scares Amanda since he might be like his father and leave the family life completely. Tom’s attitude towards Laura is that of resentment. His idea is that she should go out and find a man who will ease him the responsibility of taking care of her and be able to go on with his life. In scene 7, Tom finally leaves as he is pushed to his boiling point. When Amanda keeps going on and on with regard to him being selfish he leaves. In my own opinion, I really don’t think he ever resolves his dilemma. However, he runs into Laura at the end of the play as it is not possible to get away from the family. 

3.	What is the mother's background? Pick three of her qualities as a character and give an example of each. ( 4 part question)
Amanda Wingfield background is that she has an unmarried daughter and has a moody son. She is the family matriarch and doesn’t think too much about herself. 
The first quality is she is full of paradoxes. First she wants the best out of her children fail to have an understanding that what she wants is different from what they want. Secondly, she is a fighter. She possesses great strength and determination having devoted to her children. With a determination, she sets herself to the preparation task that in her children cannot be equalled. Lastly, she is frivolous and giddy as her life passed by. She found herself in a meaningless and empty life when she was deserted by her husband. She hence began living through her children as she devoted herself. 
4.	Laura is a pivotal character in the play. What are the symptoms and causes of her mental condition? What is her physical defect? What qualities make her a sympathetic character? ( 3 part question)
Laura’s mental conditions symptoms and causes is pleurosis, a disease that eventually left her crippled. 
Laura’s physical defect is a limp.
She is a sympathetic character since she has magnified the limp which is slight physical defect which affected her personality entirely. Her oversensitive nature also makes her sympathetic as she has an idea that everyone notices her limp. She withdraws into the illusion world due to her inability to overcome the defect. 

References
Williams, T. (1996). The glass menagerie. Oxford: Heinemann.