The Glass Menagerie Symbolism

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Symbolism of Glass and Desire

In the book The Scarlet Ibis, by James Hurst, a young, sickly boy named Doodle finds a red bird, a Scarlet Ibis. When the lost, tired, and travel weary Scarlet Ibis dies, lost and far away from home, Doodle buries and mourns him. During a storm, Doodle himself dies with blood dripping onto his shirt. When his older brother finds him, the scene is a juxtaposition to the death of the bird earlier in the story, as Doodle’s brother mourns his fallen “scarlet ibis”. Similarly, in both The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the titles hold a strong symbolism that is present throughout the play and helps the reader create a fuller understanding of the themes within the work itself. …show more content…
Laura is a shy and self-conscious girl that appears to the viewer as fragile and breakable as the pieces of her glass collection. Due to a small physically disability, Laura becomes shy and withdrawn. This shyness is only furthered by her own mother using her as a mirror to increase her own hubris, while simultaneously deflating her daughter’s self esteem. Amanda, Laura’s mother, speaks of her “seventeen gentlemen callers” (Williams, “The Glass Menagerie”) and how popular she was back at her home while her daughter fails to capture the attention of even one boy. Furthermore, Amanda is controlling, and decides what Laura’s future will look like. When Laura cannot follow through with her mother’s plans for her, Amanda warns her daughter of her potential future as an old maid with no job, and acts betrayed, further weakening her daughter. Another place where Laura’s fragility and similarity to glass is showcased is during her conversation with Jim, her single “gentleman caller”. Jim recognizes the tenuousness of Laura’s self imagine and tries to build her up, while ultimately bringing her down. When he reveals his engagement to another girl, Laura’s heart is broken, just like the horn of the glass unicorn she treasures. Her remark to Jim, “Glass breaks so easily. No matter
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