The Glass Menagerie

Book Review:
Tom Williams in the play The Glass Menagerie writes about a time when his family struggles. Many people can relate their problems one way or another with Williams. Though the play had a very realistic feel to it, many people enjoy fairytale endings.
The play is very well written, but I would change the ending. The ending was depressing. The whole family worked so hard on preparing for the gentleman caller. Amanda, Tom’s mother completely redecorated their home and picked out beautiful clothes for Laura and herself. The whole play led up to this moment, of Laura meeting a nice gentleman caller. Conveniently it was the boy she had a crush on all through high school. Whom, she always fantasized about being with. At first it seemed he was interested in her also. They should have had him and Laura become romantically involved. Eventually get married and have kids. This would have been a much happier ending. Not only would Laura be happy, but Amanda and Tom would be too. Amanda would finally not have to worry about her daughter anymore, because she would be taken care of. Tom would be happy because he too, would no longer have to worry about his sister. This is more like a fairy tale ending, but it would have been much more interesting and inspiring if Laura did become married to the gentlemen caller. Laura had such a rough time with her life, this would have given her hope that she never had.
The entire play is a family struggling which can be compared to many of our own lives. The play isn’t fantasy like at all. It is realistic, and that’s what is good about it. Tom was struggling to taking care of his mother and sister, which can be compared, to the way families live today. Laura is disabled and very insecure of it. Amanda is just like any mother, she tries hard to help her children have a secure future. Another hardship for Tom and his family is that their father is no longer in the picture. He abandoned the children at a very young age. These examples can be compared to our own lives. Instead of the play being about people with no problems, it’s about “real people.” Everyone has problems and struggles, maybe not exactly as Tom’s family does, but we can relate with similar problems.
Many people struggle just like William’s family, but for the most of us we want to have that happy ending. Whether it’s meeting Mr. Right or Mrs. Right or just becoming successful. Some people may never rise above these struggles, but if the play had a happy ending, it can be shown as an example that there is hope for change. Everyone should remember that we have control over our lives and we can change it if we want to.
-Rachel Bradley

This is a play where the theme is family struggle. In a lot of books, the families have issues but in this book they are different. A mom named Amanda, had a daughter named Laura who had disability problems. She had a hard time living with it and while some of her family helped her, others abandoned her. Her dad had left her when she was very little because she didn't want to handle responsibility. In the review, Rachel talks about how this book is very relatable which is true. Some books have these out of the world problems that would most likely not occur here. In this play, illness and loss are issues that people are facing everyday. This play takes place not in this decade but even back then it shows how families have to learn to cope with what is on there plates. Rachel also talks about how she was unhappy with the ending. Although it was sad, it is a more relatable situation then someone living happily ever after. Real life doesn't always provide that and i liked how the book stuck with a real story. The ending seems to have been done on purpose to not mess up the realness of the book. if a disable girl with a struggling family miraculously finds happiness at the end of the book, then the whole story would have been a waste. Problems in the world don't always end with a miracle and that is why i enjoyed this book. i would not recomend this to people who can't handle upsetting situations but it is a book of truth. The author wanted to convey the message that not everything can be fixed. Things can slowly come around which is what happened in here but the one thing that real makes it real, is the fact that Laura and her family, although with many problems, were able to get though them in there own way in there own time like every ones life is.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

When someone is determined they will do almost anything. Oscar is determined to solve a mystery that his father left behind. His father was killed in the 9/11 attack and throughout the book, the story of Oscar and what happened before the attack are brought about. Oscar finds a key, when he was looking through his dads things, that was marked BLACK. Oscar had no idea what it meant or why his dad had it so he decided to find out what it was. it seems that Oscar and his dad were very close because Oscar is willing to put his life on hold to find out what the key is for. His thinking at first was a bit impulsive because he decided to try every lock in the city. If he really thought it through, he would have gone to a locksmith or have spoken to a family member. after all of this though, he doesn't stop. Before the attack, a story is told of a man named Thomas. He was a fighter in world war one who met a girl that later on was killed. Later on, he finds her sister and ends up marrying her. She becomes pregnant though, and Thomas leaves her. The two stories told become more clear in there connection to one another later on in the book. I am not going to give away the ending but what Oscar finds is something very rewarding and important to discovering himself. This story is a tragic tale with many heartfelt moments but seeing the courage and determination these two men have, will make you not want to put it down.