Lost in the Glass Menagerie

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Kelcie Brown ENG 4U Miss Nimmo Dec 8th, 2008 Lost In the Glass Menagerie Failures are often seen as an event of inadequacy that one brings on oneself. On the other hand, failure can be induced and plotted by others. In these two plays, Bella Kurnitz from Lost in Yonkers and Laura Wingfeild from The Glass Menagerie, display many examples of total loss. Bella and Laura’s constant struggle to please their overbearing mother’s lead to their excessive defeats. Their mother’s cause them to fail in achieving their dreams of a loving male relationship, a decent education and an independent life. These three common goals are eradicated by the interfering nature of their mothers. To begin, Bella’s continual effort to please her mother, “Grandma Kurnitz” has caused her to let go of her dream of a fairy tale romance. Bella wants to be with a man and wants to start a life. Her mother on the other hand, means so much to her, she doesn't want her to be alone. She decides to desert her dream, she still lives with Grandma, much like a dependant child, yet she knows Grandma would suffer from great loneliness without her” (Bloom, Harold. “List of characters in Lost in Yonkers. p67-68). Bella’s guilt caused by her mother’s fear of loneliness has left her short of any male relations. She cannot escape the wrath of her mother, and continually surrenders to her mother's will. Also, Bella has felt she cannot start her own relationship because her mother, in an effort to protect her living children, she has trained them not to feel by hardening them with punishments such as locking them in a closet or beating them with her cane” (Bloom, Harold. “List of characters in Lost in Yonkers. p67-68). She does not have enough self- confidence to meet anyone. Moreover, Bella has been taught for so long by her mother not to feel, and this creates a barrier forcing her to fail at

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