The Truth Behind the Object: Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie and Lives of the Saints
Symbolism is an extremely powerful literary tool that many authors use to emphasize important themes and motifs. This is evident in both The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci. Both authors use, what seem to be, ordinary objects as an avenue to symbolize various reoccurring themes throughout the story. Although the symbols used in each novel differ greatly from each other in a literal sense, figuratively and symbolically, they are equally as powerful in representing the themes common to both stories. Through the use of powerful symbols, Tennessee Williams and Nino Ricci emphasize the of innocence in Laura Wingfield …show more content…
While recounting the events of the procession of “la festa,” Vittorio describes how he, “reached instinctively into [his] pocket to palm [his] lucky one lira,” (Ricci 86). Also fulfilling the innocent archetype, the coin is representative of his naivety to the reality of the world. As Vittorio clings to a coin because it is supposed to be good luck, it becomes clear that he does not understand the harsh truth in that coins do not bring fortune to one’s life. Furthermore, these symbols represent the loss of innocence in both characters as well. Following her conversation with Jim the Gentleman Caller, Laura allows herself to dance with Jim and fall vulnerable to the realities of society. While dancing, Jim accidentally bumps into her glass and shatters the unicorn. Laura is more than kind and comments that, “Now he will feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don’t have horn” (Williams 86). The literal breaking of Laura’s unicorn is the symbolic breaking of her innocent heart. Now that the unicorn is missing it’s horn, it is like the rest of the horses; now that Laura’s heart has been broken and …show more content…
In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda is associated with jonquils, a type of narcissus plant. While preparing Laura for her meeting with the Gentleman Caller, she recalls her past, “That was the spring I had the craze for jonquils” (Williams 54). It is at this point that Amanda is associated with the jonquils and the narcissistic connotation it holds. In comparison, Cristina of Lives of the Saints is associated with the snake when Vittorio notices blood on his mother’s leg after hearing a scream from the stable, and Cristina tells him, “[…] I’ve been bitten by a snake” (Ricci 8). Being bitten by this snake is a “curse” that is attached to her throughout the rest of the novel. Further, in The Glass Menagerie, the jonquils are reaffirmed as symbolic to Amanda’s pride (in regards to her appearance and her past), when she continues her story about her history with jonquils, explaining, “Jonquils became an absolute obsession” (Williams 54). It is evident here that Williams used jonquils to represent her obsession with her pride as well. Having Amanda claim her obsession with jonquils in a literal sense had her symbolically claiming her pride in her image and her past in a figurative sense. On the other hand, in Lives of the Saints, Cristina’s association with the snake and it’s symbolic pride is reaffirmed when
Symbolism is an extremely powerful literary tool that many authors use to emphasize important themes and motifs. This is evident in both The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci. Both authors use, what seem to be, ordinary objects as an avenue to symbolize various reoccurring themes throughout the story. Although the symbols used in each novel differ greatly from each other in a literal sense, figuratively and symbolically, they are equally as powerful in representing the themes common to both stories. Through the use of powerful symbols, Tennessee Williams and Nino Ricci emphasize the of innocence in Laura Wingfield …show more content…
While recounting the events of the procession of “la festa,” Vittorio describes how he, “reached instinctively into [his] pocket to palm [his] lucky one lira,” (Ricci 86). Also fulfilling the innocent archetype, the coin is representative of his naivety to the reality of the world. As Vittorio clings to a coin because it is supposed to be good luck, it becomes clear that he does not understand the harsh truth in that coins do not bring fortune to one’s life. Furthermore, these symbols represent the loss of innocence in both characters as well. Following her conversation with Jim the Gentleman Caller, Laura allows herself to dance with Jim and fall vulnerable to the realities of society. While dancing, Jim accidentally bumps into her glass and shatters the unicorn. Laura is more than kind and comments that, “Now he will feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don’t have horn” (Williams 86). The literal breaking of Laura’s unicorn is the symbolic breaking of her innocent heart. Now that the unicorn is missing it’s horn, it is like the rest of the horses; now that Laura’s heart has been broken and …show more content…
In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda is associated with jonquils, a type of narcissus plant. While preparing Laura for her meeting with the Gentleman Caller, she recalls her past, “That was the spring I had the craze for jonquils” (Williams 54). It is at this point that Amanda is associated with the jonquils and the narcissistic connotation it holds. In comparison, Cristina of Lives of the Saints is associated with the snake when Vittorio notices blood on his mother’s leg after hearing a scream from the stable, and Cristina tells him, “[…] I’ve been bitten by a snake” (Ricci 8). Being bitten by this snake is a “curse” that is attached to her throughout the rest of the novel. Further, in The Glass Menagerie, the jonquils are reaffirmed as symbolic to Amanda’s pride (in regards to her appearance and her past), when she continues her story about her history with jonquils, explaining, “Jonquils became an absolute obsession” (Williams 54). It is evident here that Williams used jonquils to represent her obsession with her pride as well. Having Amanda claim her obsession with jonquils in a literal sense had her symbolically claiming her pride in her image and her past in a figurative sense. On the other hand, in Lives of the Saints, Cristina’s association with the snake and it’s symbolic pride is reaffirmed when