The Glass Menagerie Symbolism

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In the Glass Menagerie, author Tennessee Williams employs insightful symbolism in order to convey the relentless power of memory. Memory: the source by which one stores and remembers information. While it proves a vital source in daily life, this process can be lethal to our emotional and logical state. When evaluating these recollections, perspective plays a momentous role in their impact on the future.
The unicorn embodies the true essence of Laura’s personality and mental state. Unicorns- “extinct in the modern world,” don’t inhabitant the world, aside from Laura’s glass sculpture. Being the only one of its kind leaves the unicorn “sort of lonesome” due to its inability to interact with any one of his kind. This circumstance is parallel in Laura’s life as well. Struggling to fit in throughout her life, she proves unable to feel accepted for who she is. Whether it is high school, business school, and even in her own home- Laura suffers the constant insecurity evoked by judgment of others. Sparked at an early age, her shyness continues to develop over time, drawing her even farthe...

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