The Glass Menagerie: Tied Down

I really pity Tom in regards to his being unable to follow his dreams. He is caught in a life that he absolutely loathes, always wishing for the adventure that is never found in his tiresome warehouse job. He says, "...I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't have much of at work, so I go to the movies". Not only is he tied down from adventure by his job, but he is prevented from leaving that job by the dependency his mother and his sister have on him. Like his father, Tom wishes to find adventure and leave his troublesome life behind. However, unlike his father, Tom cares too much about his family to simply abandon them. It is unfortunate that he is constantly reminded of this option, the option his father chose, by the picture of the father that plays a large role in the Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as well as his mother's constant nagging to not be like his father. Tom has inherited a large responsibility as well as his father's yearning for adventure, but he proves his character with his endurance and loyalty to the family despite the frustration it causes him.