The Destruction of Laura in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee William's play, The Glass Menagerie, the character of Laura is like a fragile piece of glass. The comedy is based on a fragile family and its difficulties in facing life. Laura, unable to survive in the outside world, retreats to their apartment and its collection of glass and victrola. There is a specific moment where he seems to be making progress when Jim is there and he feels comfortable with him. This stands out because in all other scenes in the play Laura has never been able to even entertain a conversation with a "gentleman caller". Laura's mother and brother shared some of her fragile tendencies. Amanda, Laura's mother, continually lives in the past. The reflection of her adolescence continually torments Laura. At the point where he forces her to see a "Gentleman Caller", that's when Tom reminds his mother to "don't expect much from Laura", she is different from other girls. But Laura's mother did not allow herself or the rest of the family to see Laura as different from other girls. Amanda continually lives in the past when she was young and pretty and lived on the plantation. Laura must feel that she can never live up to her mother's expectations. Her mother continually reminds her of her differences throughout the show. Every time the family comes to a confrontation someone retreats into the past and reflects on life as it was then, without addressing life as it is for them today. Tom, taking on the macho role of the man of the house, gives birth to and protects Laura from the outside world. His mother reminds him that he must feel responsible for his sister. He carries this burden throughout the play. His mother knows that if it weren't for his sister's needs he would have been gone long ago. Laura must pick up on some of this, she is so sensitive that she must sense Tom's feeling of being trapped. Tom dreams of going away to discover the world, Laura is aware of this and is afraid of what could become of them if he left. Laura feels that she will never find someone who will take care of her. This is very upsetting because it is obvious that it is very important to all family members.