Free Glass Menagerie Essays: Characters and Symbols :: The Glass Menagerie

Characters and Symbols in The Glass Menagerie In The Glass Menagerie, the main characters are Laura, Amanda, Tom, Jim, and Father. individu each(prenominal)y character can be found with symbols that best pay off them. Laura s two symbols are lively Roses and her scum menagerie, Unicorn. Amanda s yellow dress and bathrobe can express her hunch she has of the past event. Tom s symbols are the movies and merchant marine. Jims symbolize itself as a gentlemen caller for Laura. The Father s portrait portrays his abandonment of the Wingfield family. Laura is a hypersensitive young girl. She spends all of her time in a world of glass ornaments and stayed in her apartment. Even though she tries several times to participate in the outside world, she is too fragile. The Blue Roses represent the uniqueness of Laura. Blue Roses do not exist in this world or even if there is, it is not by nature. This rose is disparate from other roses just as Laura is different from other girls. The colo r blue represents the sadness and depression. Laura felt these feelings at home because she is not as popular as Amanda and she cannot succeed in college that Amanda hopes her to be. Amandas expectation caused Laura to feel bad when she does not meet her requirements. Laura had dropped out of Rubicam Business College and she can not find any gentleman caller. Roses represent Laura along with her beauty and innocence. The stem of the rose can define as the support that Amanda and Tom gave her. The thorn is her shyness. It is her shyness that no one wants to go underweight her and she does not want to go near anyone. The Glass Menagerie represents Laura hypersensitive nature and fragility. Laura is just as easily broken as a glass unicorn and just as unique. When Jim accidentally bumps into the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is no longer unique. When Jim kisses Laura and then shatters her hopes by telling her he is engaged, she becomes broken-hearted and less unique. The innocen ce that made Laura so unique is right off lost. Both Laura and the glass menagerie break when they are exposed to the outside world. When Laura gives Jim her broken unicorn, it symbolizes her broken heart that Jim will take with him when he leaves. She gives Jim a dinky bit of herself to take with him and he leaves behind a little bit of himself with her shattered horses.