In The Glass Menagerie, Tom Wingfield is unhappy with his life as his primary role is to work and provide for his family. ... Amanda wears a dress from her youth to impress Jim. ... The last example of symbolism for Amanda is the jonquils. The jonquils represent how Amanda cannot escape her past. ... This clearly shows that Amanda is unable to escape her past. ...
Amanda sees the fire escape as an opportunity for gentleman callers to enter Laura's life. ... Wingfield, the absent father of Tom and Laura and husband to Amanda. ... Amanda always makes negative comments about her missing husband, yet his picture remains. ... When Amanda tells Laura to practice typing, Laura instead plays with her glass collection. When Amanda is heard walking up the fire escape, Laura quickly hides her collection. ...
Through the eyes of Tom Wingfield, a character in the play, the reader gets a glance into the life of his family. Tom's mother, Amanda, is a southern belle desperately clinging to her past. ... One major symbol presented in the story is that of the fire escape, which has a different meaning and function for each of the Wingfield characters. ... For Amanda, the fire escape is symbolic of her hopes and dreams. ... Next, the chandeliers from the dance hall across the way create rainbow-colored reflections in the Wingfield home. ...
These symbols give an insight and understanding of the life of the Wingfields. ... Tom's mother, Amanda constantly reminds him of how much he is like his father. ... The significance of this symbolism to the theme of the play is seen in the way life, for the Wingfields, is devoid of reality. ...
