Tennessee Williams
"You know our blood gets so thick during th' winter-it takes a while fo' us to adjust ou'selves!-when the season changes..." (Williams, 1269).
When Jim finally comes over for dinner, the audience gets a glimpse of Amanda the Southern Gentlewoman: the woman who attracted dozens of male callers at Blue Mountain. There is just one problem; Amanda's sudden "charm ex vernacular" from her Blue Mountain days has come up on Laura's big day. This would suggest that Amanda has dubious motives in her plans for her children.
Upon reading this section, I discovered the perfect person for the role of Amanda:
Rue McClanahan.
If you don't already know (but you should), McClanahan became famous for her role as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. Like Amanda, Blanche could never let go of her glory days in which men lined up to "court" her. To prove her beauty, Blanche would pull out the heavy Southern accent to appear sophisticated and sexy. I doubt that Amanda is trying to win Jim's heart, but I do suspect that she is seeking to set up Jim and Laura as a way to bring back memories of and triumphs of her youth. Every "fo'" and "th'" she throws at Jim may help win him over, but, ultimately, success would embolden Amanda rather than fragile Laura. Despite her motherly intentions, Amanda is attempting to live vicariously through Laura instead of letting Laura become her own woman.
When Jim finally comes over for dinner, the audience gets a glimpse of Amanda the Southern Gentlewoman: the woman who attracted dozens of male callers at Blue Mountain. There is just one problem; Amanda's sudden "charm ex vernacular" from her Blue Mountain days has come up on Laura's big day. This would suggest that Amanda has dubious motives in her plans for her children.
Upon reading this section, I discovered the perfect person for the role of Amanda:
Rue McClanahan.
If you don't already know (but you should), McClanahan became famous for her role as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. Like Amanda, Blanche could never let go of her glory days in which men lined up to "court" her. To prove her beauty, Blanche would pull out the heavy Southern accent to appear sophisticated and sexy. I doubt that Amanda is trying to win Jim's heart, but I do suspect that she is seeking to set up Jim and Laura as a way to bring back memories of and triumphs of her youth. Every "fo'" and "th'" she throws at Jim may help win him over, but, ultimately, success would embolden Amanda rather than fragile Laura. Despite her motherly intentions, Amanda is attempting to live vicariously through Laura instead of letting Laura become her own woman.
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