Symbolism In The Glass Menagerie
In Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie Tom desperately wants to escape his blue collar factory job and find adventure. Tom does not want the responsibility of providing for his mother and sister because it means sacrificing his dreams and ambitions. Tom seeks for a way to escape his situation without leaving his mother and sister out to dry like his dad did. In The Glass Menagerie symbolism is used frequently such as the magician’s trick at the movies where he gets out of a coffin with nails in it. This is symbolic because Tom wants to get out of the life he is living without hurting anyone. Tom going to the movies symbolizes Tom trying to get a taste of adventure by watching the character have it. The shoe warehouse that Tom works at symbolizes
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When he is at the movies one time there is a magician who does a magic trick that really impresses Tom. “But the wonderfullest trick of all was the coffin trick. We nailed him into a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail. There is a trick that would come in handy for me—get me out of this two-by-four situation” (1111). Tom is explaining the trick to Laura, but he is also explaining the symbolism of the coffin trick. Tom says how he loved the trick because the magician was able to get out of a coffin without removing nails and how he wishes he could do that trick figuratively to get out of his situation. Tom continues talking to Laura about this trick by explaining why it is so amazing to him. “You know it don’t take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail?”(1111). Tom knows that he can easily escape his life if he wants to that he does not have to work at the factory to provide for Laura and Amanda. However, he is saying how he does not want to do that even if it may be easy, he would rather leave his life without abandoning his mother and sister. He knows that doing that is not easy however which is why he was so amazed by the magician’s
When he is at the movies one time there is a magician who does a magic trick that really impresses Tom. “But the wonderfullest trick of all was the coffin trick. We nailed him into a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail. There is a trick that would come in handy for me—get me out of this two-by-four situation” (1111). Tom is explaining the trick to Laura, but he is also explaining the symbolism of the coffin trick. Tom says how he loved the trick because the magician was able to get out of a coffin without removing nails and how he wishes he could do that trick figuratively to get out of his situation. Tom continues talking to Laura about this trick by explaining why it is so amazing to him. “You know it don’t take much intelligence to get yourself into a nailed-up coffin, Laura. But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail?”(1111). Tom knows that he can easily escape his life if he wants to that he does not have to work at the factory to provide for Laura and Amanda. However, he is saying how he does not want to do that even if it may be easy, he would rather leave his life without abandoning his mother and sister. He knows that doing that is not easy however which is why he was so amazed by the magician’s