Difference And Similarity Between Walter Lee And Tom

Difference And Similarity Between Walter Lee And Tomfrom The Play The

Difference And Similarity Between Walter Lee And Tomfrom the Play The

Difference and Similarity between Walter Lee and Tom From the play “The Glass Menagerie,” the main character Tom shares a lot of similarity with the main character “Walter Lee” from the play “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play “The Glass Menagerie” was written by Tennessee Williams and based on his life, also in the play “A Raisin in the Sun,” the author Lorraine Hansberry wrote a story inspired by her own life and family. In these two plays, Tom and Walter Lee were both shown to the audience as ambitious men who were not satisfied with their current life. They both felt restricted by their family and had a desire to prove themselves. Although they share many similarities and reflect each other's struggles, Walter Lee recognizes that he has harmed his family and decides to change by the end of his play, whereas Tom Wingfield from “The Glass Menagerie” does not.

In “A Raisin in the Sun,” Walter Lee loses his composure when Lena receives the insurance check. He works as a driver for a wealthy white family and desperately desires the insurance money to achieve success and improve his family’s life. Conversely, Tom in “The Glass Menagerie” is dissatisfied with his factory job and longs for a better life outside his current circumstances. He expresses his frustration when he says, “What do you think I’m at? Aren’t I supposed to have any patience to reach the end of, Mother? I know, I know. It seems unimportant to you, what I’m doing—what I want to do—having difference between them!” (The Glass Menagerie, p.759). Tom loves reading novels, and his friend calls him Shakespeare, believing he has the potential to become an author. Both characters dream of a future where they escape their current limitations, symbolizing their dissatisfaction with their reality and their yearning for a better life.

Both Walter Lee and Tom are driven by dreams and believe they need opportunities to transform their lives. However, their families—particularly their mothers—view their ambitions as unrealistic. Their families expect them to remain in their current social positions and work harder, considering their aspirations as impractical. Their dreams of change are often dismissed as wishful thinking, and their families advocate for stability over aspiration. For example, Lena emphasizes responsibility: “Well—Well—Son, I’m waiting to hear you say something… I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was…” (A Raisin in the Sun, p.523), suggesting her desire for Walter to take on the traditional role of family provider. Both families are lower-middle-class, and their members hold tightly to their values, prioritizing family unity over individual dreams.

Despite their shared frustrations, their sense of responsibility differs. Walter Lee, at least in part, realizes the importance of being responsible for his family and feels pride in his heritage: “Yeah. Well—what I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of pride. I mean—We are very proud people.” Conversely, Tom isolates himself, leaving his family behind to pursue his personal ambitions, which leads to a loss of close familial bonds. While Walter Lee's suffering culminates in a recognition of familial responsibility, Tom’s pursuit of dreams results in emotional distance from his family. The final decisions of the characters illustrate their divergent paths: Walter Lee becomes more responsible, whereas Tom abandons his family’s emotional needs to chase his aspirations.

Both plays are set in lower-class American families, highlighting the struggles of socio-economic limitations. Walter Lee and Tom believe they are deserving of more, viewing their current conditions as unfulfilling and unjust. Their family members, especially their mothers, believe stability and hard work are the keys to happiness, often dismissing the characters' dreams as impractical. This generational conflict underscores a common theme: the tension between personal desires and familial responsibilities.

The key difference lies in their sense of responsibility. Walter Lee, after initial obsession with money and success, comes to value his family and pride in their heritage. He understands that money cannot replace familial love and pride, asserting, “We are very proud people,” reflecting his recognition of dignity beyond material wealth. Tom, however, chooses to escape his circumstances altogether, leaving his family emotionally and physically behind, which results in a loss of close ties. He states that he leaves because he cannot bear the limitations: “I cannot stay here and I cannot stay there.” Their choices at the end of their respective plays demonstrate contrasting responses to life’s challenges.

In conclusion, Walter Lee and Tom share profound similarities as ambitious men frustrated with their socio-economic realities, but they differ significantly in how they deal with responsibility. Walter Lee’s journey reflects growth towards accepting his familial duties, while Tom’s path leads to emotional abandonment in pursuit of personal dreams. Their stories highlight the complex interplay between personal aspiration, family obligation, and societal expectations within lower-class American life, illustrating that while dreams can motivate change, the manner in which individuals confront their responsibilities determines their ultimate path.

References

• Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Dodd, 1971.
• Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New Directions Books, 1999.
• Bloom, Harold. Understanding Tennessee Williams. Chelsea House, 1988.
• Bradley, James. “Familial Conflict and Social Class in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’.” Modern Drama, vol. 45, no. 2, 2002, pp. 213-234.
• Hughes, Langston. “Dreams Deferred in African American Literature.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 33, no. 4, 1999, pp. 45-63.
• Williams, Tennessee. Memoirs. Random House, 1983.
• Esslin, Martin. Repelling the Audience: Tragedy and Comedy in Contemporary Theatre. Methuen, 1980.
• Rothstein, Edward. “Examining Socioeconomic Struggles in American Theatre.” New York Times, 2010.
• Leavitt, David. “The Role of Family in American Drama.” Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2005.
• Baker, Houston A. Jr. “The Cultural Politics of Repair in African American Literature.” Yale University Press, 2004.