Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie essa

Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his play The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses a multitude of symbols. From these symbols, there comes a deeper understanding of the relationships between the play's four characters. The most obvious symbol in this play is Laura's glass menagerie, representing the world she lives in. Another recurring symbol is that of the fire escape. Outside the fire escape is the dance hall, a symbol for the reality of the outside world. Candles and rainbows are often mentioned in the play and carry a variety of meanings. Each symbol is a concrete substitution used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One of the most obvious symbols in this play is Laura's glass menagerie. The glass menagerie is what keeps Laura occupied; it's the world she lives in. It is a representation of Laura's family, a representation of their isolation from the rest of the world. The Wingfields exist in a separate world, Tom lives in his dreams, Amanda lives in the past and Laura lives in her world of glass animals. When Jim enters the illusory world of the Wingfields, he is able to relive parts of his high school glory. However he can onl... ...5 March 2000. 15 March 2000 *http://hipp.gator.net/glass_alligator_review.html*. Kahn, Sy. Modern American Drama: Essays in Criticism. Edited by Willima E. Taylor. Deland, Florida. Everette/Edwards Inc., 1968. 71-88 Kapcsos, Kristal. "The Glass Menagerie." Online posting. 13 Nov. 2000. The Glass Menagerie 21 Nov. 2000 *http://www.mccnic.mohave.az.us/wcb/schools/NMC/dl/dtimpson/1/forums/forum12/me.../26.html*. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Writing, Thinking. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 1865-1900