The Glass Menagerie Symbolism Essay

ENC 1102
5/26/2013
687 Word Count Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams uses symbolism in an in depth manner to farther express his feelings in the play. The play is a memory of one of the characters. He wants to leave and get out of the hole he is in. he wants adventure and to be on his own. The fire escape is a great example of symbolism that gives off this feeling of escape. There are many objects and places in this play that symbolize something; however, the most important are Laura’s glass menagerie, the glass unicorn, and the fire escape. The theme that is communicated through the symbols is escape and uniqueness. Laura’s glass menagerie is the center of her world. It is important to point
out that the name is “The Glass Menagerie”. That title puts emphasis on Laura’s glass menagerie because it is important. Tom and Amanda are fighting about Tom going to the movies and what he really is doing when he is out when Laura’s glass menagerie is broken, “My glass! – menagerie…. (she covers her face and turns away.) (1624). She said this like it was a physical wound. She loved her glass menagerie. The braking of the glass menagerie symbolizes the growth of Laura even though she may not want it, “TOM.
All right! What about Laura? AMANDA. We have to be making some plans and provisions for her… TOM. I guess she’s the type that people call home girls. AMANDA. There’s no such type, and if there is, it’s a pity! That is unless the home is hers, with a husband.”
(1629). They have this discussion about Laura because her mom wants her to be happy and her brother wants to leave. They talk more about it and Amanda asks Tom if he would find someone that does not drink and is clean and ask him over for dinner for his sister. The glass unicorn that is in Laura’s glass menagerie symbolizes her uniqueness and inability to change herself. She wants to change but she needs someone to change her. When Laura shows Jim her glass he sees the unicorn, “JIM. A unicorn, huh? LAURA. Mmm-hmmm! JIM. Unicorns – aren’t they extinct in the modern world? LAURA. I know!” (1651). The unicorn is Laura before she changes.
Then Jim and Laura start to dance and they get really into it. They hit the table and something falls and brakes, “LAURA. It’s hard not to. JIM. Okay. LAURA. I’m afraid you can’t budge me. JIM. What do you bet I can’t? (He swings her into motion.) LAURA. Goodness, yes, you can! JIM. Let yourself go, now, Laura, just let yourself go… LAURA. Oh, my goodness! JIM. Ha-ha-ha! What did we hit on? LAURA. Table” (1652). They had hit the table and knocked off the unicorn and broke the horn off. The braking of the unicorn symbolizes the changing of Laura. The fire escape symbolizes that Laura cannot escape when she slips on it She will be stuck there forever, “TOM. Laura? LAURA. I’m alright. I slipped, but I’m all right” (1626). Her slipping on the fire escape was her trying to escape. Tom is a different story he goes out on the fire escape to smoke all the time this is symbolizing him pondering his escape. When Tom invites Jim over for dinner they go out to smoke, “JIM. Move? TOM. Yes! JIM. When? TOM. Soon! JIM. Where? Where?” (1641). He is telling Jim his plans for leaving. Amanda gets made at Tom for going out there to smoke all the
time, “TOM. I’m ging out to smoke. AMANDA. You smoke too much… TOM. I’d rather smoke.” (1630) She wants him to save his money to go to school but he would rather smoke. In conclusion, Laura is fragile and cannot change, Tom wants to escape, and Amanda just wants the best for her children. This is shown through symbolism in Laura’s glass menagerie, the glass unicorn, and the fire escape. Symbolism is important tool for writers to better express their feelings.

Outline Thesis statement: Symbolism is used in many ways through Laura’s glass menagerie, the glass unicorn, and the fire escape. I. Laura’s glass menagerie A. Brakes B. Husband II. Glass unicorn A. Uniqueness B. Ability to change III. Fire escape A. Laura cannot leave B. Tom wants to leave