Symbols and Symbolism in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee WilliamsThe Glass Menagerie illustrates how Tennessee Williams incorporates symbols to help express the central theme of the play. One of the recurring symbols, apparent throughout the play, is that of the “glass menagerie” – symbolic of Laura herself. Another symbol for Laura is the glass unicorn. Yet another symbol is that of the image of the father, symbol of freedom. These symbols play an important role in the development of the plot, as well as the theme of the play. The glass figurines that reside in Laura's menagerie symbolize Laura herself. Laura is “like a piece of her own glass collection, too fragile to remove from the shelf” (849). Due to a slight flaw, amplified many times over by her own mind, Laura's image is as fragile as her collection. Due to her low self-image, she is extremely withdrawn, even to the point of avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Laura escapes “into the world of her menagerie where she is sheltered from the world of people” (Kahn 74)...