Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie In his play The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses a multitude of symbols. From these symbols comes a deeper understanding of the relationships between the four characters in the work. The most obvious symbol in this play is Laura's glass menagerie, which represents the world in which she lives. Another recurring symbol is that of the fire escape. Off the fire escape is the ballroom, a symbol of the reality of the outside world. Candles and rainbows are often mentioned in the play and have a variety of meanings. Each symbol is a concrete substitution used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One of the most obvious symbols in this play is Laura's glass menagerie. The glass menagerie is what keeps Laura busy; it's the world he lives in. It is a representation of Laura's family, a representation of their isolation from the rest of the world. The Wingfields exist in a separate world, Tom lives in his dreams, Amanda lives in the past, and Laura lives in her world of glass animals. When Jim enters the illusory world of the Wingfields, he is able to relive parts of his high school glory. However it can only...... half of the document......5 March 2000. 15 March 2000 *http://hipp.gator.net/glass_alligator_review.html*.Kahn, Sy. Modern American Drama: Critical Essays. Edited by Willima E. Taylor. Deland, Florida. Everette/Edwards Inc., 1968. 71-88Kapcsos, Kristal. "The Glass Menagerie." Online publication. November 13, 2000. The Glass Menagerie November 21, 2000 *http://www.mccnic.mohave.az.us/wcb/schools/NMC/dl/dtimpson/1/forums/forum12/me.../26. html*.Williams, Tennessee. The glass menagerie. Bedford's introduction to literature: reading, writing, thinking. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Mayer. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 1865-1900