The Fantasy World Of Tennessee Williams:A Study Of The Glass Menagerie From The Perspective Of Psychological Defense Mechanism

The Glass Menagerie makes Tennessee Williams become famous overnight,and this play is his most autobiographical work.The experience of the main characters,Laura and Tom,is not only the reflection of Williams’ s life but also the projection of his unsatisfied desires.This thesis adopts Freud’s theory of Defense Mechanism to explore how Williams constructs a fantasy world in the play and relieves psychological anxiety by projecting the secret inner world onto Tom and Laura.This thesis points out that writing is Williams’ s way to relieve psychological stress and anxiety,and the writing process is the process of his psychological healing.This thesis first explores Williams’ s depressed psychological world through analyzing his family and social conditions and points out that he is eager to relieve depression through his fantasy world constructed by writing.On the one hand,Williams releases his repressed desires through the experience of the protagonists,then he can adapt to the loneliness and cruelty of the real society.The sublimation of the defense mechanism is thus reflected.On the other hand,through the portrayal of the marginalized groups in the play,Williams presents the inner struggle and pain of the marginalized groups under social pressure,calling for social sympathy and understanding.Writing also became his way of realizing his social value.Secondly,this thesis analyzes Laura and Tom’s behaviors under pressure,which can be seen as psychological defense mechanisms.Laura uses dropping out to escape the imaginary derision of classmates,and this behavior shows the regression of the defense mechanism.Then,mother’s overprotection and her shyness makes her deceive Amanda,and she wanders in the park to isolate herself from the cruel reality.This one shows the isolation mechanism.Laura creates a harmonious and friendly world and immerses herself in fantasy,which is the embodiment of fantasy.Laura’s experience is a re-enactment of Williams’ s childhood,and through Laura’s actions,Williams’ s childhood desires can satisfy and also can alleviate his anxiety.Tom is the reflection of Williams’ s youth.Tom represses his instinct desires to cope with the dull work and the misunderstanding mother.It is the embodiment of the most basic repression in the defense mechanism.To alleviate his anxiety,he constructs a free and adventurous world to release his desires and anxiety,which is the embodiment of fantasy.Then he relieves his long-suppressed emotions and instincts by watching adventure movies at midnight and longing for sailor,which shows the displacement in the defense mechanism.Tom’s behaviors satisfy Williams’ s inner desire to be free from family.Laura and Tom were the projection of Williams’ s life,and their changing psychological states represented Williams’ s psychological state.Through analyzing Laura and Tom’s defense mechanisms,this thesis explores Williams’ s way to relieve depression and release emotion and concludes that writing is Williams’ s defense mechanism to integrate himself into reality and The Glass Menagerie was his fantasy world to satisfy his desires and release his anxiety.By studying Williams’ s writing psychology,this thesis sheds some new light on Williams and his work.At the same time,the depression of Williams is influenced by his family environment and social surrounding,which is the same as modern youth,the defense mechanism provides a way to understand their psychologies.