Emasculated Masculinity: Tom Wingfield’s “illusion” in The Glass Menagerie

Abstract

The experience of reading Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie can often draw the readers in multiple directions. One of the conflicting and poignant directions leads us to Tom Wingfield and his struggles. Set during the Great Depression in America in the 1930s, Tom is at a crossroads trying to find his masculine identity. However, his journey into manhood is hindered by several factors; social, economic, and domestic. Since American hegemonic masculinity has traditionally linked men’s identity to that of a successful man, Tom’s failure to climb the social ladder is equated to his failure in defining his masculine identity and asserting his manhood. This article explores the milieu that leads to Tom’s increasing masculine anxiety which ultimately emasculates him. By analysing Tom’s failure to embody the mandates of traditional masculine ideals, this article argues that Tom’s search for a masculine identity remains an “illusion” with no objective reality.