In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda is an over-controlling mother and tries to protect her children as any mother would, but Laura and Tom depend on their mother's decision for them. For example, right at the beginning of the play Amanda is talking to Laura and Tom about something that happened at church and while they are having dinner Amanda says “Honey, don't push with your fingers. If you have to push with something, the thing to push with is a crust of bread. And chew... chew! Animals have sections in their stomachs that allow them to digest food without chewing. . . . .” (Act 1, scene I, page 925) Amanda is telling Laura and Tom how to eat and what to do when they eat. I understand it from a mother's perspective, but they are old enough to know what to do and how to do it. Amanda treats them like grown-up children. A mother always wants the best for her children and Amanda is not a good example of a good mother. Amanda talks to Laura and Tom about their father as she made a mistake choosing him over many men who wanted to be with her. “And I could have been Mrs. Duncan J. Fitzhugh, mind you! But – I chose your father” (Act 1, scene 1, page 927). Amanda is using her past experience and wants men to call Laura like many have done for her “It's almost time for our gentlemen to start arriving. How many do you think we will have guests this afternoon?" (Act 1, scene 1, page 927) Amanda doesn't want Laura to make the same mistake she made by choosing the wrong person as she made it seem about Laura's father. Put pressure on Laura to go out and find someone which I don't think is a good thing for a mother to do and clearly just wants her daughter to find someone with a future for the sake of the family... middle of paper... ....important to you , what am I doing – what do I want to do – having a little difference between them!” (act 1, scene 3, page 934) “Do you think I'm crazy about the warehouse? Do you think I'm in love with the continental shoemaker? I say to myself: “How lucky are the dead!” but I get up. I go! For sixty-five dollars a month I give up everything I dream of doing and being! And you say that the self... the self is all I think about .935) Tom clearly expresses how his mother made him feel, trapped and manipulated into doing what she wanted and everything how she wants things around her to be done Tom had the courage to stand up in difficult times with so much pressure and madness on the part of her mother, but not for long she decides to leave her mother and her sister unfortunately without a husband.