The Glass Menagerie Symbolism Essay - 800 Words

Title Tennessee Williams had a rough past that influenced him to write plays about the 1930s. Williams’s life was very successful in his writing, making him known to many. His experiences in the 1930s affected his work. Williams’s homosexuality made him be seen as an outcast in American society. Tennessee Williams utilizes symbolism to express his themes throughout The Glass Menagerie. There are many events in Tennessee Williams’s early life that is similar to the details in The Glass Menagerie. Williams had a bad relationship with his father, who was clinically alcoholic (Debusscher 1). Williams’s dysfunctional family plays a role towards his homosexuality (Debusscher 4). A research group discovered that children who have alcoholic†¦show more content†¦Williams employment of symbolism is needed to capture the reality of illusion (Adler 5). Laura was given the nickname â€Å"Blue Roses† by a boy she loved in high school (Adler 6). Roses are delicate, beautiful, and fanciful, like Laura and her glass animals, but they both have no real existence (Adler 6). The glass unicorn is her favorite glass animal (Beattie 3). When Jim breaks off the horn accidentally, Laura realizes that she ordinary like the unicorn-turned horse (Beattie 4). Another symbol is a dead-end alleyway, which cats are trapped and killed by dogs (Holditch 2). All the characters are trapped in different ways, and each escape into an illusion (Holditch 2). The symbols relate to the themes and characters. The themes provide a deeper understanding of the play and of the characters. Tom’s father abandoned his family, who appears only in a photograph on the wall (Adler 6). Tom abandoned the family the same way his father did, but he wanted to leave his life situation (Beattie 2). Amanda struggles to support her children, who are now grown and refuses to see Laura’s disability (Holditch 2). Amanda escapes into the past and forgets the facts of her own existence (Holditch 2). The family avoids the truth, make excuses, and creating fantasies are a way of invading all issues (Debusscher 3). Tom believes Amanda’s refusal to recognize Laura’s limitation demeans LauraShow MoreRelated Essay on the Symbolism of the Menagerie in The Glass Menagerie1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Symbolism of the Menagerie in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚   Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, describes three separate characters, their dreams, and the harsh realities they face in a modern world.   The Glass Menagerie exposes the lost dreams of a southern family and their desperate struggle to escape reality. Williams use of symbols adds depth to the play. 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