"The Glass Menagerie" Is a Partly Autobiographical Play by Tennessee Williams

The reason the Unicorn is a symbol in the play, is to represent Laura and the fact that she feels different just like the Unicorn.In her eyes the unicorn even with its differences from the other horses is accepted.She relates with this, because it differs from her experiences in high school where she did not feel as though she fit in. Jim states that he remembered her being late to class and she says, “Yes it was so hard for me getting upstairs, I had that brace on my leg-it clumped so loud! Jim responds, “I never heard any clumping.

” (249) This is just one example of how she over exaggerates her leg brace.She isolated herself from everyone because she was so self-conscious about her leg brace.

Her mother Amanda does not help her overcome the feeling that she is different from everyone else.She makes Laura feel inadequate and that she will never be able to fit into society.

I don’t think that Amanda does this on purpose, or even realizes she is doing it.I say this, because she is constantly checking on Laura and telling her what to do. An example of this is when she comes home from her D.A.R. meeting and Laura asks her how her meeting went and her mother tells her “No No I did not have the strength to go to D.A.R.

In fact, I did not have the courage! I wanted to find a hole in the ground and hide myself in it forever!”Then she tells Laura she went to the college to see if she was making any progress and learned that she quit.

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Laura told her that she got so upset on thefirst day that she threw up and cold not face anyone in that class again.Amanda then goes into this long saga about her becoming a spinster who was going to end up living off others.This does not help Laura’s esteem at all this only makes her feelings about herself stronger. Learning that Laura quit school brings Amanda to the conclusion that Laura must find a husband.

In the play The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, Williams uses many symbols, which represent many different things.Many of the symbols used in the play try to symbolize some form or type of escape or the difference between reality and illusion.Thefirst symbol, presented in thefirst scene, is the fire escape. This represents the “bridge” between the illusory worlds of the Wingfields and the world of reality.The direction varies for each character.

For Tom, the fire escape is the way out of the world of Amanda and Laura and an entrance into the world of reality. For Laura, the fire escape is a way into her world. Both examples can readily be seen:Tom will stand outside on the fire escape to smoke, showing that he does not like to be inside, to be a part of the illusionary world.Laura, on the other hand, thinks of the fire escape as a way in and not a way out.This can be seen when Amanda sends Laura to go to the store.Another symbol pr! esented deals more with Tom than any of the other characters: Tom’s habit of going to the movies shows us his longing to leave the apartment and head out into the world of reality.

A place where one can find adventure.And Tom, being a poet, can understand the needs of man to long for adventure and romance.But Amanda, who criticizes him as being a ;selfish dreamer, keeps him from entering reality But, Tom has made steps to escape into reality by transferring the payment of a electric bill to pay for his dues in the Merchant Union dues.

Another symbol, which deals with both Amanda and Laura, is Jim O’Connor. To Laura, Jim represents the one thing she fears and does not want to face, reality.Jim is a perfect example of “the common man.” A person with no real outstanding quality.In fact, Jim is rather awkward,Which can be seen when he dances with Laura.