Tom’s closing speech in The Glass Menagerie -- English Literature Tenn

tomcats closing speech in The Glass menagerieToms closing speech in The Glass Menagerie is very emotional andironic. However, this monologue is somewhat ambiguous and doesntimplicitly res publica whether Tom found the adventure he sought. It seemsas though he never returned to St. Louis, and spent the remainder ofhis living wandering from place to place. This is inferred when hesays, I didnt go to the moon, I went much further-for time is thelongest distance between two placesThroughout the play, the fire escape has been a symbol of Tomsentrance and exit into both his reality and his dream world. He tellsus that his departure marked the last time he descended the steps ofthis fire-escape, olibanum permanently embarking on his journey ofsolitude into what was once only a part of his dream world. From thestatement, (I) followed, from then on, in my fathers footsteps..the reader commode see that Tom acknowledges that he has chosen a pathwhich is very similar to that of his fathers . In recognising thisfact, Tom also admits that he abandoned his family and alike(p) Mr.Wingfield did.Toms journey does not seem to bring the escape and excitement that hehad always longed for. He says, The cities swept about me like deadenedleaves.. This description does not sound as though it comes from atraveller who is ecstatic about visiting different parts of the world.Cities are anything alone dead on the contrary, they are vibrant andfull of life, and persons who are artistically inclined tend to beattracted to bustling cities. By categorising all the cities as deadleaves, Tom classifies them as similar entities in which he notices noindividuality, uniqueness or excitement. He cannot relish in thebeau... ...scape, and she will most likely exculpate this pain for the rest of herlife. It also symbolises Toms final farewell to her.Essentially, this monologue reveals that Toms escape has not been ascomplete or as perfect as he had hoped. While he has escaped thephysical li mitations of the Wingfield apartment and the restrictionsof his job at the warehouse, memories from his past and feelings ofregret seem to bring in an intangible prison for Tom. He has been unableto remove himself from the coffin and leave all the nails untouched,as was his former desire. His statement of I am more firm than Iintended to be alludes to the fact that he is fully cognisant thathe has left his family to struggle with the consequences of hisdeparture. The Glass Menagerie ends with Toms life being exactlyopposite to the one he had foreseen when he planned his escape.