Instruction of The Glass Menagerie(it depends on the wirtter) - Essay Example

The current discourse hereby aims to present a rhetorical analysis of the play, through expounding on the theme, the symbols, as well as the main characters. There could be more than one theme in the play, as evident from the topics of discussion by the characters. For one, there is a theme on deception and lies. Both Laura and Tom hid some inner secrets from their mother, Amanda, in terms of past, current, and future activities. For instance, it was only after six weeks after dropping from Laura’s typing class, that Amanda discovered the incident.

As such, Laura painstakingly deceived her mother into apparently attending daily classes; when in fact, she disclosed that she went to the art museum, to the zoo, or walk around the park (Williams). In addition, Tom has always left after dinner, supposedly to attend movies every night. In truth, he had plans to travel as a seaman and used the money earmarked for payment of electric bills to pay for membership dues for joining The Union Merchant Seamen organization. In addition, another theme in the play was the feeling of incarceration and the apparent need to escape.

This theme was exemplified in terms of the physical entrapment felt by Tom for being relied upon to support both Amanda and Laura. As such, through making an excuse every night as viewing the movies as a means of escape, Tom actually planned to eventually leave to pursue the same course that their father took. Concurrently, from the point of view of Laura, there is also a persistent feeling of incarceration due to her physical infirmity. As such, her outlet was expressed through the glass menagerie, the glass animals’ collection that seem to be the perfect epitome of her being: fragile, entrapped, isolated, delicate, and detached.

The obvious symbol is the glass menagerie. It symbolized the traits that were above mentioned: fragile, entrapped, isolated, delicate, and detached. Traits that were