Symbolism in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie - Research Paper Example

Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie Introduction Symbolism is both a figure of speech and an element in literature that authors use to enhance the meaning of their works. Just as the name suggests, symbolism refers to a case where an author uses an object, situation and person among many other things to represent a different thing. Symbolism helps create a desirable mood and emotion in the plot thereby conveying a particular message effectively. The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams is an ideal play in which the author use a number of literary elements and techniques to convey his message and to create both mood and emotions in the plot (Simon 26). The author of the play uses appropriate symbols in the play all of which enhance his development of the conflict among the characters as the analysis below portrays. The fire escape Tennessee uses a number of symbols in the play. The first and the most conspicuous among which is the fire escape. The fire escape means different things and plays different roles to different characters in the play. The fire represents a bridge for the characters who use it to break through to the real world from their illusionary environments. For Tom, the main character and the narrator of the story, the fire escape offers him an efficient escape from the nagging world that comprises of his mother Amanda and sister Laura. Tom often stands out of the fire escape to smoke (Cohn 121). This offers him an opportunity to reflect and meditate away from his family that nags him constantly. Additionally, the fact that he cannot smoke when with the two portrays the lack of freedom and the confinement he feels when with them thereby compelling him to break free into his free and real world where he enjoys the precious smoke. The fire escape provides Laura with a way into her world. The fire escape represents a systematic way that takes Laura into her world. In scene four, Amanda sends Laura to the store. On her way out of the house, Laura slips on the fire escape. The slip is a strategic inclusion in the plot of the scene since it shows the extent of Laura’s emotions and fears, her inability to pass the fire escape successfully without slipping shows her inability to control herself given her shy personality. The fire escape therefore shows her inability to escape her intimidating world. Amanda is the boss who influences the actions within the fire escape. She controls the other characters and nags at Tom thereby making it difficult for the two to live their lives naturally. However, she does not pursue the two characters past the fire escape. Tom walks out to smoke after his mother quarrels with him in the last scene because of Jim. The fact that she does not pursue Tom past the fire escape shows that the fire escape demarcates the end of her reign and the beginning of freedom for the other two characters. Movies, liquor and literature Another equally effective symbol in the play is Tom’s unique behavior. Tom spends most of his free time watching movies, drinking alcohol and writing poem and stories. Tom develops the three behaviors to escape from the condescending atmosphere around his home. The behavior annoys his family “I do not believe you go out to movies every night” (Tennessee 67). The behaviors symbolize Tom’s desire to escape from the illusionary world in which he lives with his sister and mother. Tom yearns for adventure, freedom and romance. Unfortunately, Tom cannot achieve these owing to her mother who refers to Tom as “a selfish dreamer”. The movies, alcohol and literature therefore offer Tom a unique escape from the illusion to the reality. Furthermore, as the plot advances Tom reveals his plot to escape home. Apparently, Tom has confiscated money he was to use in paying the electricity bill. He sets the money apart in readiness for his eventual escape in search for hi freedom. Jim Jim is a major symbol in the play both to Laura and to Amanda. To Tom, Jim is a casual friend. Like any other, Tom does not engage in an in-depth analysis of his friend. He accepts him at face value and takes him home without even knowing that Jim has a fiancée. To Laura on the other hand, Jim represents her greatest fear. Jim is a normal man with normal dreams and aspirations. His success arises from his hard work (Berkowitz 154). As such, Jim represents normal which aura is not. Jim therefore represents everything that Laura fears and even hates. When Jim visits the Wingfields for dinner, Amanda insists that Laura open the door for him. After opening the door, Laura recedes to her room and does not come over for dinner as she feigns illness. This portrays her fear for normal, Jim. Additionally, Jim represents freedom for Laura. Despite her fears and shyness, Laura gets out of her room and fears thereby engaging Jim who understands and reassures her. Laura readily trusts him and the two begin to talk. They even dance together. Laura readily opens up for Jim and tells him that he liked him since her days in high school. The two kiss and from there a new Laura emerges. Laura appears as a composed individual who readily forgives Jim when he breaks one of her most valued treasures. She even offers him the glass unicorn as a gift. When Jim later tells Laura that she has a fiancée and must leave, Laura appears composed and sees him off a feature that shows her coming of age as she overcomes her fears and shyness thanks to Jim. Jim represents a number of features for Amanda. While Amanda wants her daughter Laura to have such a nice young man, Amanda’s actions towards Jim makes it obvious that she also wanted a “gentleman caller”. To her, Jim represents her youth. Jim reminds Amanda of her days as a young girl, back when she would get "seventeen gentlemen callers on one Sunday afternoon" (Williams 87). Jim makes Amanda excited. When he later learns that Jim has a fence, she expresses her heartbreak by quarrelling Tom who she argues is insensitive and responsible for her sister’s heartbreak. Amanda throws such a tantrum at a time that Laura is calm and sees Jim off with a smile and self-reassurance. Glass unicorn Tennessee uses the glass unicorn to represent Laura’s life thereby making the unicorn among the greatest symbols in the play. After dinner, Jim points out the unicorns are extinct and often lonesome given their difference from other normal horses. The fact that the unicorn is Laura’s favorite makes it tell more about Laura’s lifestyle and qualities. Laura is indeed unique and different from other normal people. She is equally lonesome owing to her shyness, which makes her drop out of both high school and college. The fate of the unicorn further represents the developments in Laura’s life. When the two dance, Jim knocks the unicorn accidentally and it breaks off its horns thereby becoming similar to other normal horses. This shows the development in Laura’s life as she matures up and overcomes her fear after the kiss, dance and chat with Jim. Jim presented a level of brutality as portrayed in the fall of the unicorn in order to break off its horns in breaking Laura’s shyness (Phelan 17). As Jim prepares to leave, Laura gives him the unicorn explaining that the unicorn is better off with him now that it has no horns. The broken unicorn symbolizes all that Jim broke and took away from her. She however believes the unicorn is now different and does not fit her world, “Now it is just like all the other horses” (Tennessee 99). The book therefore ends in a suspense but the act shows that Laura may probably get back to her lonesome life. Glass Menagerie The glass menagerie is one of the largest symbols in the plot thereby influencing the title of the play. The menagerie represents Laura’s unique life. The collection of the unique glass animals become Laura’s passion thereby portraying her unique features. Laura handles the delicate glass pieces delicately often ensuring that they are clean and safe. The delicate nature of the glass menagerie symbolizes Laura’s delicate nature. Just as the menagerie, Laura proves to be fanciful, delicate and old fashioned. Laura is an interesting and multifaceted individual. While she looks boring, withdrawn and old fashioned to most, she is an exciting and intelligent woman when she decides to open up. Jim experiences the unique side of her personality. As explained earlier, the menagerie represents Laura’s life. The life is both colorful and enticing. However, requires a select few who can put up with its fragile nature. Laura manages to live such a life by withdrawing from people owing to her shyness. This way, she affords the caution and attention the glass requires. Additionally, her collection of glass animals portrays her private life. She tries to keep the collection safe and private from the other character in the play. The collection provides her with a safe place where she can hide from the reality. When Amanda sends her to study secretarial course for example, Amanda plays with her collection of glass instead. She hides her collection quickly when she hears Amanda walking past the fire escape into the house. One day, Tom breaks one of her glass animals as he walked out of the house in a rush to the movies. Laura understood such an action to represent Tom’s lack luster attitude towards his responsibilities to her. Conclusion In retrospect, symbolism is a major feature in the play, The Glass Menagerie. The simplistic plot opens up to a series of complex conflicts as the various characters strive to find their identities and freedoms. Amanda for example is a nagging mother who denies Tom an opportunity to live his life. The structure of the family complicates Tom’s predicament while worsening Laura’s shy personality. However, as the plot progresses, the characters come of age as Tom hides a substantial amount of money and eventually leaves the family. Laura on the other hand breaks her bondage of shyness. In developing such an exciting and captivating plot, Tennessee portrays his literary genius as he uses strategic symbols that enhance his message besides developing appropriate moods and emotions in the plot. Works cited Berkowitz, Gerald. The other world of the Glass Menagerie. Players: The Magazine of American Theatre 48.4 (April-May 1973): p150-153. Print. Cohn, Ruby. The garrulous grotesque of Tennessee Williams. Dialogue in American Drama. Indiana University Press, 1971. p97-129. Print. Merle, Jackson. E. The Glass Menagerie: Its No Tragedy, Freckles. The Broken World of Tennessee Williams. University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Print. Phelan, Kappo. Review of the Glass Menagerie The Commonweal 42.1 (Apr. 20, 1945): p16 17. Print. Simon, John. Two from Williams Menagerie. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 8, 1991. Print. 25-26 Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions, 1999. Print. Read More