Laura is a Piece of Glass

One of the characters in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie seems to be incredibly strange.  She plays a unique role, as kind of a break for fighting but also a cause of intense frustration for both Tom and Amanda.  Through the obnoxious care given to her by her family, mainly her mother, she is unable to improve the little social skills she has.  She has become more similar to the pieces of glass that she plays with than an adult.  She is unable to have adult relationships with other people, and she often tries to find her way out of social situations.  She also shows she absolutely needs order and peace in her world in order to function.  At one point during an argument between Amanda and Tom, Tom inadvertently breaks several of her figures.  Instead of being angry, she reacts with objective sorrow, and the next more tells Tom to "Make up with her, apologize, speak to her!" (Williams, 1249).  Laura's level of function, although very low already, is greatly hindered when there is some kind of disturbance.  Her family has truly emotionally crippled her beyond repair, and it seems she will never be able to pull herself to a normal level of social acceptance.