Some critics say that Amanda is trying to relive her youth Essay Example

is only trying to relive her youth through her daughter.

It can be argued that Amanda is living vicariously through her daughter in an attempt to relive her own youth. This is demonstrated in the dining scene where she prioritizes attention from Jim over Laura. Amanda appears unwilling to allow Laura to live independently and instead pressures her to follow a traditional path of marriage and settling down. She fears that without this, Laura will always need to rely on the generosity of others. Despite experiencing a failed marriage resulting in abandonment by her husband, Amanda continues to push for Laura's marriage. While some may support this argument, there are multiple reasons why it could be challenged.

As previously mentioned, Amanda's immature behavior can be attributed to significant reasons. Firstly, she may feel that after her husband left her with two small children, she sacrificed everything to support her family and now desires to relive happier moments. Therefore, her behavior is an attempt to recapture those moments rather than a regression to youth. Secondly, the play consistently shows Amanda struggling to understand the needs of Tom and Laura. It is possible that she lacks knowledge on how to effectively communicate with them.

Amanda may not comprehend her children's lives and thoughts, resulting in her only being confident discussing her past. Her accounts could exasperate and disinterest them; nevertheless, Amanda isn't necessarily attempting to relive her earlier years. Instead, she desires to communicate with her children as she struggles to understand them. Despite some actions hinting at Amanda trying to relive her youth, like flirting with Jim or wearing vintage clothes, I don't think that this is the

case. Rather than reliving old times, Amanda seeks solace during a challenging period by revisiting happier moments while also searching for ways to connect with her kids.

Despite the suggestion that Amanda is reliving her youth, I believe it is more crucial to understand the root causes of her actions. These include feelings of sadness, isolation, and misunderstanding from her children. Rather than simply attributing her behavior to immaturity based on age, it is these factors that drive her actions.