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American Lit

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Satonga Brown
How to Escape From Conflicts?
Everest University

The character that I feel, that escape the most compared to the other characters would most definitely be Tom Wingfield, the son of Amanda Wingfield. Tom and his mother Amanda always seem to butt heads between one another, no matter what. Tom had a job in a warehouse that paid him only sixty-five dollars a month. He had become friends with a guy named Jim, who was a clerk in the same warehouse as he worked. He had a sister named, Laura who was born with a childhood illness that later left her crippled. And, his overbearing mother Amanda is just caught up in her own little world of realization. Tom has always seen himself being more than just working in a warehouse, he actually wanted to become a seaman and explore the many different adventures that a seaman could explore. But, he put his dreams on hold to take care of his mother and his disabled sister. It seems as though Tom haven’t been pleased lately at how his mother treats him and sort of boss him around as if he is a little boy. Tom always wanted to move out his mother apartment and venture out on his own to see what the world had in-store for him, but it seem as if his mother was always his downfall and holding him back from achieving his goals. Every time Tom and his mother would get into an argument, he would say “I’m going to the movies!” (CCi Custom Edition, 2008). The movie was a way for Tom to have peace and quiet from his mother and to be able to watch movies and dream as, if he was in the movies fulfilling his dreams in real life. Anytime the two would have a disagreement, he would escape to the fire escape and smoke a cigarette. His mother always complained of how much he smoked and how much money he was wasting on by buying cigarettes. Tom had a best friend at work by the name of Jim, who he and his sister Laura both went to high school with. Jim was a clerk at the warehouse who made twenty-dollars more than Tom made. Jim knew of the dreams Tom had and always wanted to pursue in life but he couldn’t. One day Tom invites Jim over to his apartment he shared with his mother and sister for dinner, for Jim to be a gentlemen caller for Laura. After they had dinner, the lights went out. And, Tom told Jim that he didn’t pay the light bill, he ended up paying his dues to become a seaman with The Union of Merchant Seamen, so that he could finally pursue his dreams.

References CCi Custom Edition (2008). Introduction to American Literature. Boston: Pearson Publishing.

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