The Glass Menagerie- Unrealistic

"Now that we cannot hear the mother's speech, her silliness is gone and she has dignity and tragic beatuy." (Scene 7, page 1288)


Because The Glass Menagerie is Tom's memory, the characters' words and actions are exaggerated to the way that Tome remembers them. Throughout the play, Amanda is characterized as an overbearing mother who is constantly nagging Tom. The readers, especially teenage readers, first sympathize with Tom because his mother is constantly telling him he isn't good enough and that he can't do anything right. For example, when Mr. O'Connor is over, Amanda says, "I guess the fuse has burnt out. Mr. O'Connor, can you tell a burnt-out fuse? I know I can't and Tom is a total loss when it comes to mechanics" (Scene 7, page 1272). However, because Tom is retelling the memory, Amanda's portrayal is unrealistic. Yes she very well could have been a nagging mother, but she wanted the best for her children. Tom wanted to leave, he hated his life there because he had no adventure and no excitement. Tom is telling the story the way he is because he wants to show the readers how poorly his mother treated him. He is kind of saying to the readers, "see how she talks to me, you would want to leave to". I think it's hard to remember that because the play is a memory, the words and actions of the characters are unrealistic because it isn't exactly what happened, it is one person's account of what happened.

As You Like It- Unrealistic

"A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself...Into a bush: under which bush's shade a lioness, with udders all drawn dry, lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch" (IV.iii.64).


I think this play employs unrealistic conventions. Some of the events that occur such as a lion in the middle of the woods attacking Orlando seem just a tad out there. I think one of the major literary devices that separates Othello from As You Like It is that Othello is rooted in logic and As You Like It is more rooted in fantasy. Another couple unrealistic events in the play are that no one recognizes Rosalind as a man and that many characters fall in love at first sight. I think these unrealistic components are what make the play a comedy and what make it satirical. Orlando falling in love with Rosalind when he never even spoke to her and writing her love poems on trees is funny to the reader because it would never happen in real life. I think Shakespeare is using these unrealistic ideas to make the play exciting and keep the reader's attention.