In Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie, the narrator views art as a respite from the grim monotony of reality . Art, in this conception, is a medium that allows us to interpret reality. Tom, the narrator of the play, consciously creates art in an attempt to subjectively redefine the present moment and as a coping mechanism for the problems in his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayTom deals with the boredom of his everyday life using art as an escape. He single-handedly supports his mother and his infirm sister by doing thankless work in a shoe factory. At home, Tom is the household provider, but at the factory, Tom is little more than a robot. In this stifling 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’re living in a dream; you are creating illusions! Where are you going? (1999) to which Tom responds: "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 movie characters. In reality, Tom assembles shoes, used as padding and protection for the feet when traveling from one point to another. . Yet, to escape the boredom of his life, Tom supplements his reality with the dreamlike nature of films. Additionally, when Amanda asks Tom where he is going, she implicitly questions his direction in life. Tom can't answer and only replies that he's going to the movies. He feels he can move blindly through life as long as these artful illusions protect his feet from the constant, painful reminders of reality. Tom exclaims, “Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of these instincts come into much play in the warehouse” (1968). He feels trapped by the authoritarian structure of the factory because there is no room for these so-called instincts romanticized by the media. Tom integrates art into his life to satisfy these instincts and to redefine his needs and priorities in life. Tom consciously creates art, as he narrates the piece with a subjective approach based on his memory. He describes each event in the play as a scene: [it is] memory and is therefore unrealistic...it omits some details, others are exaggerated, depending on the emotional value of the items it touches, because the memory resides mainly in the heart...the interior is therefore rather dark and poetic. (1954) Like a movie director, Tom adds dramatic touches to his narration; what it presents is a subjective distortion of reality. The audience is uncertain whether or not Tom is offering specific memories of his story, as the narrator can freely omit and change any aspect as he wishes. For example, when Amanda shares her experience with her children, "Tom gestures to Amanda to music and a point of light. Her eyes rise, her face glows, her voice becomes rich and elegiac" (1956 ). In Tom's unique perspective on the event, Amanda despondently yearns for her past popularity. She becomes a movie star with a face in the spotlight, her features glow and she laments her youthful past in a rich, sad voice. However, Amanda's behavior could have been entirely different from another person's perspective. She could have come across as proud and boastful, belittling her daughter for not being able to woo men with the same success as when she was young. Tom conveys his point of viewpersonal by effectively editing and adapting the boundaries of reality to one's liking. He manipulates the qualities of the environment to overthink and focus on the superficial character attributes he deems important. Tom's use of artistic symbolism transforms the intrinsic attributes of his characters, too. Tom often employs symbolism in his storytelling in order 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 lit by the image of blue roses. The music quiets down. Laura... washes and polishes her glass collection" (1957). Tom matches visual and auditory cues with Laura's actions, thereby emphasizing certain features of her temperament. By explicitly displaying the blue rose symbol while Laura cleans her glass collection, the narrator removes the realistic aspect of his narrative in favor of an 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 his character. Tom also uses a musical score to accompany his drama. This form of sonic symbolism adds depth and dreamlike ambiance to the scene and provides entertainment value to the audience. Tom says: “I'm the opposite of a stage magician. It gives you an illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you the truth under the pleasant disguise of illusion” (1953). Tom's memory, although altered by its subjective perspective and its intertwining of artistic symbolism, nevertheless represents the essence of truth in a different form. This art that Tom presents is not an accurate reflection of reality, but rather a study of the social ramifications of the impact and influence of art on personal lives 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 depicted in the media causes him to redefine himself to fit this popular standard. Tom mentions: “In Spain there was a revolution. Here there was only shouting and confusion... This is the social context of the play” (1953). The problems Tom faces are neither well defined nor made public. He experiences an internal rather than external struggle with clearly defined sides between good and evil. Tom seeks a life with clearly defined paths and rewards for bravery, like the ones he sees in the movies. As he begins to recount the memory game, Tom “enters dressed as a merchant seaman…heads to the fire escape…and lights a cigarette” (1953). Based on this quote, it is assumed that Tom joined the army in search of the fictionalized 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 on the world stage. However, Tom completely excludes from his memory any mention of this potentially traumatic combat experience. He transforms his life into the art that shaped him in an attempt to redefine his role in society, but ultimately fails to replicate the cinema-inspired romance and adventure he seeks. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a paper custom now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayThe play that is 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... I have a cigarette... I run to the cinema or a bar, I buy a drink,..