Tom's Metamorphosis in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams In Tennessee William's play, The Glass Menagerie, the character of Tom is both a son and a brother. Tom was also forced into the role of man of the house due to his father's departure. He is very unique and somewhat unpredictable in his words and actions. Tom is selfish, but thoughtful and has a strong need for adventure. Without a doubt, Tom is the most rounded and dynamic character in the play. Tom's role in his family is to provide for his sister and mother by working in the shoe warehouse. He basically gives up his life so his family can live. So how can anyone say that Tom is selfish? The reader must look beyond the surface. Tom works at the warehouse but he really despises it, because in scene three he said, "I'd rather someone take a crowbar and blow my brains out than come back in the morning." (Williams 1036). Furthermore, it seems that Tom doesn't care whether he gets fired or not, judging by the amount of time he spends writing poetry at work. Tom does not appreciate what he has or the fact that his family is being provided for. Tom also shows a hint of selfishness when he tells Amanda that there is nothing in that house that he can honestly call his own. Tom also goes to the movies or gets drunk almost every night and knows that Amanda and Laura are worried about him but that doesn't change anything. He still goes out without thinking about how it will affect his mother or sister. To escape his slow life while at home Tom goes to the cinema almost every night. It is at the cinema that Tom can drink and somehow live his adventurous life through his imagination and the characters in the films. The films only satisfied Tom's thirst for publicity... middle of paper.... Works Cited Bloom, Harold Ed. Modern Critical Opinions: Tennessee Williams. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.Fordyce, William. "Tennessee William's Tom Wingfield" Papers on Language and Literature 34.3 (Summer 1998): 250-272. ProQuest. Jacobs Library, Oglesby, IL.July 11, 2001. .Jolemore, Nancy. “Lesson notes and study guide questions for The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee William.” Old Dominion University. January 18, 2000. June 29, 2001. .Reserve, Rob. "A touch of glass." June 29, 2001. .Williams, Tennessee. The glass menagerie. Literature and the writing process. 5th ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day and Robert Funk. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1999. 693-734.