The Glass Menagerie Symbolism
"If one of the roles of literature is provide insight into human nature, by what techniques and to what degree did the text offer you such insight?"
The Glass Menagerie makes use of a number of unconventional techniques in order to effectively convey the cold and harsh reality of life to the audience and readers. They are also employed as a means to unravel the human psyche and provide an accurate depiction of the characters.
Williams choice of a memory play is particularly apt for this purpose. Memory is selective with reason and thus conveys truth in the "pleasant disguise of an illusion." By having Tom take on the role of a narrator as well as a character in the play, Williams offers vivid insights into the internal workings of his mind …show more content…
Laura's glass menagerie reflects her own characteristics. Laura is delicate, fragile and easily hurt. The glass menagerie serves as her escape from reality and represents her separation from the rest of the world. She is out of place in most social situations and cannot handle confrontations and thus withdraws into her own world of "glass ornaments." This is in contrast to Amanda's forceful and controlling nature. While Laura lets her limp overshadow her entire personality, Amanda refuses to accept that her daughter is in fact a "cripple." The breaking of the unicorn holds great significance in the play. Before, Laura was unique, strange and like the unicorn. After her meeting with Jim however, she is reduced to just another ordinary …show more content…
It serves to further the reader's and the audience's understanding of the character's mindsets. His description of the family's apartment as "one of those vast hive-like conglomerations of cellular living units", signifies the sterile, detached and impersonal existence of the people living during the Depression. They all lead mundane lives with no real goals or aspirations. Williams' description also portrays the sense of entrapment and imprisonment that Tom is desperate to get away
The Glass Menagerie makes use of a number of unconventional techniques in order to effectively convey the cold and harsh reality of life to the audience and readers. They are also employed as a means to unravel the human psyche and provide an accurate depiction of the characters.
Williams choice of a memory play is particularly apt for this purpose. Memory is selective with reason and thus conveys truth in the "pleasant disguise of an illusion." By having Tom take on the role of a narrator as well as a character in the play, Williams offers vivid insights into the internal workings of his mind …show more content…
Laura's glass menagerie reflects her own characteristics. Laura is delicate, fragile and easily hurt. The glass menagerie serves as her escape from reality and represents her separation from the rest of the world. She is out of place in most social situations and cannot handle confrontations and thus withdraws into her own world of "glass ornaments." This is in contrast to Amanda's forceful and controlling nature. While Laura lets her limp overshadow her entire personality, Amanda refuses to accept that her daughter is in fact a "cripple." The breaking of the unicorn holds great significance in the play. Before, Laura was unique, strange and like the unicorn. After her meeting with Jim however, she is reduced to just another ordinary …show more content…
It serves to further the reader's and the audience's understanding of the character's mindsets. His description of the family's apartment as "one of those vast hive-like conglomerations of cellular living units", signifies the sterile, detached and impersonal existence of the people living during the Depression. They all lead mundane lives with no real goals or aspirations. Williams' description also portrays the sense of entrapment and imprisonment that Tom is desperate to get away