C.W.E. Bigsby suggests the Glass Menagerie asserts that people 'desire to live with comforting fictions, rather than confront brutal truths.' How far do you agree with this?

C.W.E. Bigsby suggests that the play asserts that people 'desire to live with comforting fictions, rather than confront brutal truths, a doomed and ultimately deadly strategy. It is a bleak vision of life.' How far do you agree with this evaluation of 'The Glass Menagerie'? In The Glass Menagerie none of the characters are capable of living completely in their present circumstances. They all retreat into their own little worlds to escape …

…strongly disagree that it is 'doomed' and a 'deadly strategy.' As long as we maintain the link to reality, it does us no harm to dream. Unfortunately the characters are unable to maintain this link. The characters in The Glass Menagerie are just extreme examples of this inability. It is a bleak vision of life for the Wingfield, but I believe that Williams meant us to learn from their plight and stay in reality.