jtsglassmenagerie

__Glass Menagerie Discussion Question #11__


How is the glass menagerie a symbol that reveals something about Laura's personality? The glass menagerie is very similar to Laura. She is very delcate and fragile and can be broken very easily just like the menagerie. The gentlemen caller breaks the little piece of glass just as quickly as he breaks Laura's heart when he tells her that he is going steady with someone else. Laura gives back the horse as a "souvenir"(1.7) because she is saying goodbye to the hint of normalcy that he gave her. Tom also breaks a piece of the menagerie and feels terrible. This foreshadows him leaving his sister with their mother to persue his own dreams.

TL: I agree wiht what you said about how the glass managerie is similar to Laura, but i don't agree with the part when you say that Tom left because he broke a peice of the meanagerie and he felt terrible, I thought he left because he was unhappy and couldn't do what he wanted with his life.

Very good-- I did not make the connection of the glass menagerie symbolizing Laura during the play, but now it makes perfect sense. I think that when she gives Jim the broken unicorn, she is also hoping he will not forget her.--Julia H.

I completely agree- Laura is very afraid to break the glass menagerie it just sits there becoming sort of useless. To a certain point Laura is afraid to be herself and to accomplish new things (ex. the business typing course). Because of this, Laura becomes like the glass managerie; useless. All she does is sit around and be afaid of everything. -- Werica dos Santos

Response from Ashley W. Good job. I also began to make the connection in Scene seven when Jim and Laura begin to talk about her being pretty and that he had never noticed her disability. I think that Laura feels that she is like the unicorn; a freak. However, everyone else in reality sees her like the horse; normal.

Well put. You made the scene easier to understand with connecting the broken horse to the emotions Laura began to feel when her gentlemen caller left to meet his fiance. In a way I feel like the menagerie is all Laura has to look forward to since she sits around all day scared of everything that comes her way. - Lauren

This is really good i saw the connection in the play. she was the lonely fragile unicorn who had no one else like her and when her gentlemen caller came she opened up to him and he showed her that she wasnt the only one. When it broke she didnt mind because she said now its like the others it isnt alone anymore soo i agree with this responce. hillary

KH: I have to agree completely. I think that Laura is very similar to the menagerie because her spirit can be broken very easily. She is scared of the real world and that’s why I believe she dropped out of school. The fact that the teacher was going to make her speak in front of the class worried her. Also, the fact that she threw-up in front of the whole class makes her want to leave because she doesn’t want people to make fun of her for that for the rest of the year, even though they might not, she believes they will because she has no self-confidence.

Jamie Rico I agree with you 100%. I think Laura's confindence is as fragile as the glass. I also agree with how Jim broke the glass as he broke Laura's heart.

Zach Daniel

I agree. A few other symbolisms that I noticed were that the simple fantasticness of the menagierie, its escape from reality represents Laura's wish to run away from it all and be content. The breaking of the glass menagerie also represents damages to Laura's dream that everything would stay the same and be easy. \

Glenn: Before I didn’t understand the connection between the Glass Menagerie and Laura. I agree with your response. I believe Laura gave the horse to Jim so he could remember the Laura that is not crippled and believes in herself.

 I totally agree, I never related Laura to the glass menagerie; now I understand the play a little more. I really agree with Laura’s confidence being as fragile as the glass menagerie, very clever. - Kevin MacMunn