The Symbolic Views of a Glass Menagerie Symbols play a vital role in everyone’s day-to-day life, now when you think of glass as a symbol, what’s the first thought that comes to mind? As you might have suspected, “The Glass Menagerie” is full of hidden symbols which are utilized throughout the play and are unique while playing a vital role in telling the story. The most obvious symbol in this play would be Laura's glass sculptures, also known as her glass menagerie. Besides the menagerie, there are various symbols throughout the play such as movies and a magician, the fire escape, a Unicorn, and leg braces. Each of these symbols adds to the negativity this household endures as a whole while also adding inspiration when needed. Symbols come in many forms; Tennessee Williams once said “When the sounds are harsh they suggest external realities; when they are soft they identify a thought or gently echo an idea identified before, binding the play together.". These various symbols scattered around the play all have different meaning, but in the end, pull the entire play together with strong meaning, deep influence, and harsh reality. Laura's glass sculpture collection also known as the glass menagerie utilizes powerful meaning with a harsh reality of being easily broken. The glass menagerie is an accurate representation of Laura's life and personality. Having a glass figurine collection is difficult to maintain while being one of the most fragile materials such as Laura, and tends to shatter very easily. The glass sculptures in a way represent Laura just as Tennessee Williams said, "her physical frailty in addition to her fragile prettiness.”(1667). Laura is very different from those around her and her unique collection shows that. However, most people tend to overlook the beauty of glass and what true perfection such material can be. Every so often, in the right light, glass will sparkle and shine, but you just have to be willing to wait around to see it. When Laura finds her calling and escapes from the house she will shine bright and show her sparkle to the world. While Tom uses his own imagination to escape the realism of his life he also found one thing that gives him hope. Tom sees the movies and Malvolio (the magician) as an escape from reality. He can have the chaos of his family life and escape into his own illusions. The magician especially shows this. Tom is very envious of one of the magician’s tricks. The magician was able to escape from a box coffin which was nailed shut. Tom too has a locked coffin, his entire life. He wanted nothing more than to be able to disappear and be free from what’s closing him in. Using the plays symbols to understand and visualize its importance while some critics have objected to the pervasiveness of the plays symbols, most concur that they significantly enhance the meaning of the characters and the action. Kappo Phelan states "While some critics have objected to the pervasiveness of the plays symbols, most concur that they significantly enhance the meaning of the characters and the action." (The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams). In addition to his own unhappiness, Tom is still worrying about Laura and what will ultimately happen to her. This simple platform of wood which is used for emergencies can be easily turned into a dreamer’s paradise. Tom uses the fire escape to visualize his getaway from the house and dream of the endless possibilities which awaits him. The current situation Tom is stuck in has slowly sucked the life out of him and doesn't look very promising for his future that's taking him nowhere fast. When things overwhelm Tom, he escapes reality by smoking a cigarette on the fire escape. Tom dreams of a life overflowing with bigger and better things which in his eyes, is just taking way too long. Laura has the same idea when it comes to the fire escape. Laura being trapped inside the house due to her braces has made life very difficult for her. When Laura looks out onto the fire escape, she visualizes life without the braces and being able to escape out into the world. Sometimes the simplest of things can create a wonderful visual escape from the negative around you. The unicorn is a direct symbol of Laura. When Laura is showing it to Jim, he points out that unicorns are extinct and that he must feel lonely. Laura claims that he is okay and quietly gets along with the others, much like how she is with her life. The unicorn is left on the table while Jim leads her to a dance. Not only is he leading her in a Waltz, he is also just plain leading her on. She begins to feel like a "normal" girl only to have her happiness come crashing down in more ways than one. The unicorn doesn't have that one characteristic that makes him specials and Jim took the "horn" from Laura. (1675). The unicorn's horn is broken, and this event, aside from its possible sexual meaning, symbolizes the loss of magic that occurs in the household with Tom’s departure. Her spunk and passion were shattered. She decides to give the now broken unicorn to Jim as a "souvenir". (1676). He broke the unicorn and ultimately her and she feels it would be more appropriate with him. When Tom leaves so does the dreams and hopes this family has which drained the household of all positive views. Laura's leg braces symbolize "shackles" (if you will) placed on her life which are taking their toll. Laura was crippled from birth, resulting in her painfully shy and awkward demeanor. (1667). When reading this play it's obvious that Laura wants nothing more than to venture out but, her leg braces confined her to the house and her only outlet was the fire escape. That beauty is also symbolized by Laura’s favorite among the animals in her glass menagerie, the fabled, otherworldly Unicorn, as well as by the place where Laura has spent many of her afternoons, the big “glass house” at the zoo called the Jewel Box, and by what she saw there. The tropical flowers which could be said to come from another world, and which can survive in St. Louis only by being placed in the artificial environment. Laura is not only physically crippled, but mentally contained. Her Braces are literally attached to her legs, but also mentally attached to her brain. In many cases, the social life shapes and defines a specific individual or family. While reading The Glass Menagerie we learn many interesting things about a low income family, from how people react and handle situations to the simplicity of a fire escape. The attitudes and ideas this play reflects about having a specific is that anyone in any situation can step outside the box and use their imagination to guide them. It took Laura many years to have any social connection with another as well Tom keeps to himself while creating his escape into the world. It seems Laura has the more difficult reason to be disconnected from the social world due to the leg braces. Even having the leg braces, each individual has certain ways to handle situations which they feel comfortable. Some tend to hide from their fears; others like to use their imagination to escape. The symbolism of social class can impact life in some of the best ways as well some of the worst. The idea of being in a certain group or doing one thing to join a special social class is absurd. The smallest things in life should have no impact on social class, unfortunately they do. In life the names we are given at birth sometimes just don't cut it. The fact that Jim had given such a special nickname to Laura was relevant in such perfection. The term "Blue Roses" has such a powerful and but yet meaningful definition which gives the beholder a glorified position among the rest. (1662). When Jim calls Laura Blue Roses it shows how different she truly is from anyone else. With Laura having such odd beauty and being so isolated from the rest helps the name fit perfectly, as a blue rose doesn't exist in the real world. All of these symbols in “The Glass Menagerie” have similar meanings and consistently thread negativity throughout the play. Each of the symbols collects your interest while gathering insight for negative dwellings. The simple inspiration of a fire escape or even the touch of a glass figure can dramatically change ones views on life. Each symbol as an individual might seem as if their relevant to the next, but joining all of these symbols together creates a recipe for disaster. As each character in the play reflects on symbols throughout the play, the symbols truly signify the meaning of each character. Joining together such distinct symbols and the individual personal issues of each character helps the imagination wander into a blissful dream. As everything falls into place piece by piece and line by line, the symbolic nature of this play takes charge with great detail. With all of the symbols represented and each characters misfortune being told, Tennessee Williams put together one of the most profound plays to ever hit broad-way. The staggering intelligence of a single man created such a masterpiece which reflects the sincerity of his strong meanings, deep influences, and harsh realism.

Works Cited
Phelan, Kappo "The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Vol. 71. (1992): 354-407. Literature Criticism Online. 30 March 2012