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Delusions in The Glass Menagerie

Indeed, this story has been told so often that it is no longer an illusion and instead has become a reality. Amanda refers to the gentlemen callers she said she used to have. They either came from the wealthy or became wealthy. Williams raises questions in our mind when he introduced Amanda saying that she had seventeen gentlemen callers in one day; it is almost inconceivable to believe this exaggeration. However, what is important is that now Amanda believes this false story so strongly that the gentlemen callers have become a reality for her. And finally, Amanda lives perpetually in the world of the gentlemen callers who will appear any day and sweep Laura off her feet. .
             Amanda retreats from reality by denial and deliberately deluding herself as to the true nature of things. She refuses to see her daughter Laura as being crippled or her son Tom as a writer who likes to drink. It can be said that parents often see only the good qualities in their children, but Williams take this denial to extremes which transform into delusions. Amanda refuses to acknowledge that Laura is crippled and instead refers to her as having only a slight physical defect. Amanda says Laura's disability is only a "slight disadvantage" which is "hardly noticeable". Amanda does not wish to see how Laura's physical deformity affects Laura and causes her the inability to go out, complete the business course and interact socially. Despite Laura's obvious short-comings, Amanda chooses to pretend that there is still hope for her. This delusion creates a lot of conflicts between Amanda and Laura, to the extent that Laura switches off from reality into her own world.
             Laura is tied to her make-believe world; this is as strong as Amanda's tie to her make-believe past. Laura has become sensitive to what people think of her because of her physical deformity. So, this causes her mental distress; she is crippled both physically and mentally.


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