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The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is a play about the reflections of a man named

Tom, who abandoned his family in order to pursue his own future. The entire play is centered

around the theme of abandonment starting with the father of Laura and Tom abandoning the

family when they were just children, Jims abandonment of Laura after their date despite the

familys high hopes that they will be married, and finally Toms selfish abandonment of his family

who is entirely dependent on him. Throughout the play different symbols exist to add a deepermessage to the plot

There are many symbols in classic literature, but those in The Glass Menagerie are particularly

unique. The use of technologys advancement represents the outside world. Mr. Wingfield with

his telephone company fell in love the long distances he could only hear and not see. This leads

to his abandonment of his family and the subsequent devastation left behind. Jim, who is most

passionate about the newest advances in radio and television for the heightening of his career,

has no interest in marrying someone as unchanging and shy as Laura. As a result, he abandons

her and leaves the Wingfields in total devastation. Finally, with Toms obsession with movies and

the better lives he sees in them, his eventual abandonment of his family is derived from the

alternative lifes allure.

Throughout the novel words and images are displayed on a screen behind the actors. This

screen is used to emphasize a certain point such as a phrase, a word or a symbol that should be

given extra attention. Sometimes the screen will reflect whatever is on the characters mind, such

as a recollection of an important event in the past or a fantasy playing out in their minds. Other

times it is just a simple phrase describing a character on the screen. In any instance, the use of

the screen is especially unique but has often been criticized for its pretension or its

condescension. Others have praised it for its irony, but it has been virtually eliminated from every

presentation of the play for its inefficacy of adding any depth or meaning to the play.

Music is another unique quality of the play. For the most part, the actors of the play are unawareof the music while the audience is aware of its enhancements to the theme and plot. At some

points in the play, the actors can hear the music which lessens the thematic role of it. For

example, when Tom starts talking about World War II, The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise

begins to play in the background. A song written specifically for the play called The Glass

Menagerie plays when Laura first comes into the forefront of the stage with her precious glass

menagerie. It also plays when Laura mentions that her mother is afraid she will end up an old

maid.

Lauras glass menagerie symbolizes some aspects of her personality. As a whole, the figurines

are very delicate and old-fashioned. The glass menagerie has a rainbow of colors that shine

through it whenever a light is shined down on the glass, demonstrating the beauty inside Laurathat is often hidden because she hides herself from the rest of the world. The animals also

represent the state of her mind, which is full of imagination and unrealistic ideas.

More specifically, the unicorn, which is described as Lauras favorite represents Lauras

strangeness. The unicorn is unique, like Laura, and as Jim points out, it is extinct and lonely

because it doesnt fit in with the other horses. Of course, the unicorn best represents Laura who

is cripplingly shy and lonely as a result of it. When Jim dances with her despite her discomfort,

she becomes normal and as a blatant symbol of this, when Jim kisses her, he knocks over the

unicorn and the horn is broken off, making it just like the other horses. But Laura gives the

unicorn to Jim as a souvenir because it is better suited for a normal person like him than it is for

her. This is an ambiguous symbol, however, because it can either represent the new normalcy

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that is in Laura herself, or her acknowledgement that a drastic act such as happened to the

unicorn must be done to her in order to shatter her crippling shyness.

The Blue Roses nickname Jim gave to Laura back in high school when she had a huge crush

on him is like the unicorn. Just as blue roses are unique, so is Laura, and just as blue roses are

beautiful, so it Laura. At the beginning of Act Two, the blue roses are shown on the back screento emphasize their significance. The name Blue Roses has been exceedingly meaningful to

Laura ever since high school because the boy she had such a big crush on acknowledged her

existence. Outside of the play, Tennessee Williams sister was named Rose and the character

of Laura was entirely based on her.

The fire escape in the play represents Toms escape from the fiery frustration he suffers i n his

home. The stagnate atmosphere of the home keeps Tom from realizing his dreams. He cannot

get anywhere with his current situation, so he escapes from the same landing that Laura slipped

on, preventing her own escape. Tom also steps out onto the fire escape to escape from the

pressures and constant fighting in the house. He calms his nerves by smoking a cigarette.

Each of these symbols helps the individual characters to escape from reality. Tom uses the

movie theatre and the fire escape to escape from the pressures of his home life. The movies

create a microcosm of an ideal life in his mind. He watches the people on the screen and dreams

of becoming normal like them. This leads to his eventual escape. He cant stand the constant

fighting with his mother. And although he feels bad about abandoning Laura, he never returns

again. The fire escape is where he plans to make his eventual escape, which he succeeds in

doing at the plays conclusion.

Amanda escapes from the reality of her life through her recollections of gentlemen callers. The

abandonment of her husband and the problem of her daughter never being able to leave the

house and find a husband are two realities Amanda doesnt like to focus on too closely.Therefore, she often recalls her life back in the South, amongst very rich and genteel society.

Back then, she had her whole life before her, and she could have never foreseen the sadness

that would befall her in her family life. The remembrance of multiple suitors reminds her of the

mistake of her choice. If she had chosen anyone else besides Mr. Wingfield, she most likely

wonders if her life would be different. Back then, life was so wonderful, Amanda constantly lives

in the past, which cripples the present in many ways.

Laura escapes from reality by playing with her glass menagerie. She listens to a record player

and enjoys the peacefulness that contrasts the argumentative members of her household. Her

mind fantasizes about the days back in high school in which she was in love with a man who

called her Blue Roses. He was the only man to even acknowledge her presence and she hasthought of him often as a result. Her menagerie, the music, and her memories also serve as her

escape from the reality of her crippled leg and disabling shyness.

The characters of Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie arent really unique in their use of

memories and tangible objects to escape from realitys unfortunate circumstances. Each cast

member regrets the life they live and the choices they have made that put them exactly where

they are. But living in the past or in the future doesnt do them any good. It in fact, keeps them

from progressing in life. Because the present is the only reality; everything else is without

substance or form. By living in the dreams of the past or the hopes for the future, people

squander the true validity of the single thing that matters: the present. Its a waste of life and a

waste of time, and time is the only thing that, when lost, we can never get back.

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submitted by Katie Jordan