Symbols throughout the play reveals the characters’ motives and desires. In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, jonquils and the glass menagerie symbolize the characters’ desires to escape from reality.
The jonquils represent the memories of Amanda Wingfield’s glorious past and how she is running away from the present. While Amanda was preparing Laura for the dinner with Jim, Amanda tells Laura about how she made her gentlemen callers “help [her] gather the jonquils.” Amanda’s bright and vibrant youth was eventually destroyed when she married a man who “fell in love with long distance.” She constantly tell the stories to make sure that they are not forgotten and it is a simple way for her to relive the past for a short time. Her desire to reexperience the past is also seen as she persistently pressed Tom to invite a man to their home for dinner. For Amanda, “the idea of getting a gentleman caller for Laura… became an obsession.” This obsession …show more content…
When Jim asked Laura about what she have been doing after high school, she replied, “I don’t do anything- much… My glass collection takes up a great deal of time.” Reality have not treated Laura very well, she suffered from pleurosis which caused her to have a brace on her leg that would make loud thumping noise as she walk, making her self conscious. Laura does not have any friends nor does she have the courage to speak with another person so her mean of escaping is to stay inside the apartment. As she places the glass menagerie on Jim’s hand, she stated, “Oh, be careful- if you breathe, it breaks!” This is the fragile world that Laura has built can easily be broken with a simple act as breathing. For instance, simple things such as the speed test at Rubicam’s college caused her to be sick and drop out of school. Through the glass menagerie, Laura is able to escape from the harsh
The jonquils represent the memories of Amanda Wingfield’s glorious past and how she is running away from the present. While Amanda was preparing Laura for the dinner with Jim, Amanda tells Laura about how she made her gentlemen callers “help [her] gather the jonquils.” Amanda’s bright and vibrant youth was eventually destroyed when she married a man who “fell in love with long distance.” She constantly tell the stories to make sure that they are not forgotten and it is a simple way for her to relive the past for a short time. Her desire to reexperience the past is also seen as she persistently pressed Tom to invite a man to their home for dinner. For Amanda, “the idea of getting a gentleman caller for Laura… became an obsession.” This obsession …show more content…
When Jim asked Laura about what she have been doing after high school, she replied, “I don’t do anything- much… My glass collection takes up a great deal of time.” Reality have not treated Laura very well, she suffered from pleurosis which caused her to have a brace on her leg that would make loud thumping noise as she walk, making her self conscious. Laura does not have any friends nor does she have the courage to speak with another person so her mean of escaping is to stay inside the apartment. As she places the glass menagerie on Jim’s hand, she stated, “Oh, be careful- if you breathe, it breaks!” This is the fragile world that Laura has built can easily be broken with a simple act as breathing. For instance, simple things such as the speed test at Rubicam’s college caused her to be sick and drop out of school. Through the glass menagerie, Laura is able to escape from the harsh