Tennessee Williams' character Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie is a bold and persuasive personality devoted to the past. Amanda was abandoned by her husband and had to raise two children alone during the Great Depression. Tormented by her husband's rejection, she is determined to keep her children close. Even if keeping your children close means using guilt and criticism to manipulate every aspect of their lives. Amanda's overbearing behavior has driven Mr. Wingfield away and he is now driving his son towards a similar escape. Amanda is an assertive and convincing person, who is not afraid to take charge of any situation to ensure that the outcome undoubtedly complements her desires. He continually reminds his son, Tom, of his obligation to support his family and the security his job offers. Amanda considers a woman alone in the 1930s unusual and constantly pleads with Tom to stay in his stale job to ensure that her daughter, Laura, is taken care of until she is married and independent. At the same time, it extinguishes any hopes and dreams Tom has for his future (1646; sc. 4). Amanda's main goal is to find someone to care for her emotionally fragile daughter (1638; sc. 3). Perceived as a caring mother, she uses guilt to guide her children's very existence. Amanda is emotionally crippling her children by continually criticizing their eating habits, career paths, social behaviors, the way they should dress, speak, and entertain (1632; sc. 1). Insisting that Tom's behavior is too similar to his father's, he believes his actions are preventing him from succeeding. While believing that nagging him to behave as he expects will make a difference. Amanda tells Tom that her…paper children…about partying in the South helps explain her dissatisfaction with her current way of life. She is irremediably destined to remain unchanged and destined to repeat the same mistakes that drove her husband away (1632; sc. 1). In the climactic scene, when Amanda realizes that Jim is engaged to someone else, she lashes out at Tom. Assuming she knew about Jim's girlfriend, Amanda hatefully says, “don't think of us, an abandoned mother, an unmarried sister. Don't let anything interfere with your selfish pleasure. Go, go, go (1676; sc.7)”. Tom finally leaves. Due to Amanda's controlling nature, the Wingfield family collapses and Tom escapes his frustrated existence, but his escape does not give him the freedom he expects. He is forever haunted by the memory of Laura, just as Amanda is forever haunted by the memory of her long-lost husband.