Symbolism in "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams

"I have a poet's weakness for symbols." So states Tom Wingfield, narrator and major character in Tennessee William's timeless play "The Glass Menagerie". Through the eyes of Tom, the viewer gets a glance into the life of his family in the pre-war depression era; his mother, a southern belle desperately clinging to the past, his sister, a young woman too fragile to function in society, and himself, a struggling young poet working at a warehouse …

…to create a powerful play using a combination of different elements, one prominent one being symbolism; the fire escape, as a sense of hope, and an escape both to the outside world and from it; the glass menagerie, a symbol for Laura's fragility and uniqueness; and rainbows, as symbols of unrealized hopes and aspirations. Through these symbols a greater understanding of the theme is realized, and "The Glass Menagerie" is made into a powerful epic.