What mental illness does Laura have in The Glass Menagerie?
Tom brings home a gentleman caller for Laura at the request of his mother. The Glass Menagerie not only reflects on the playwright’s sister Rose’s diagnosis of schizophrenia and her lobotomy, but also Williams’ feelings about the procedure. Williams’ had a close relationship with his sister and doted on her.
What does Laura’s glass menagerie symbolize?
The title of the play, and the play’s most prominent symbol, the glass menagerie represents Laura’s fragility, otherworldliness, and tragic beauty. The collection embodies Laura’s imaginative world, her haven from society.
What is the significance of the closing scene in The Glass Menagerie?
Laura’s act of blowing out the candles at the play’s end signifies the snuffing of her hopes, but it may also mark Tom’s long-awaited release from her grip. He exhorts Laura to blow out her candles and then bids her what sounds like a final goodbye.
What does the fire escape symbolize in the play?
Among the many symbols within the play is the fire escape. In the context of The Glass Menagerie, the fire escape represents an escape from the dysfunction of the Wingfield family. It is used as a door to the outside world, an escape, and it is integral to the plot of the story.
Why does Laura dread the evening?
Laura dreads the evening because she knows it is Jim and she doesn’t want to talk to him. We can tell because she gets nervous and plays the victrola.
What is the main problem of Laura?
Laura has a slight physical defect — a limp — but she has magnified this limp until it has affected her entire personality. Laura’s oversensitive nature makes her think that everyone notices her limp; it becomes for her a huge stumbling block to normal living. She cannot get over it and into the real world.
Why is Laura called blue roses?
Jim calls Laura “Blue Roses,” a mispronunciation of “pleurosis,” a disease that caused Laura to miss some school during high school. The name “Blue Roses” turns Laura’s defect into an asset: her unusual, otherworldly qualities are seen as special rather than debilitating.
What happens at the end of the scene that upsets Laura What does it symbolize?
At the end of the scene, Tom’s violent action causes some of Laura’s glass to be shattered. Tom returns to pick up the glass but is unable to utter a word. This symbolically represents Laura’s inner feelings.
Why was Laura always late to chorus?
When Laura mentions that she was always late for their singing class because she was crippled and her brace clumped so loudly, Jim maintains that he never noticed it.
How does Laura escape reality in The Glass Menagerie?
Amanda and Laura escape reality by retreating into dream worlds. Amanda refuses to see things as they are, insisting on seeing what she wants to see.
How is the fire escape a symbol that reveals something?
One of the most dominant symbols in the play is the fire escape. It represents something different for each of the characters. Tom uses the fire escape to escape from his cramped apartment and nagging mother. Therefore, the fire escape symbolizes a path to the outside world.
What disease does Laura Wingfield have?
Her nickname, “Blue Roses,” derives from Jim’s mishearing of “pleurosis,” the disease that left her crippled. Both Tom and Jim see Laura as like a blue rose, exotic and frail in her rarity. Yet despite her fragility, Laura does not willfully delude herself about the nature of her reality.
What does the gentleman caller symbolize in The Glass Menagerie?
In The Glass Menagerie, the gentleman caller symbolizes ”the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.
Why is Amanda so upset with Tom at the end of the play?
When Amanda accuses Tom of doing something he is ashamed of every night and accuses him of lying about going every night to the movies, Tom becomes infuriated and tells his mother a fantastic tale and ends by calling her an “ugly — babbling — witch.” Tom tries to get his coat on and in his rapid struggle to leave, he …
What lie does Amanda catch Laura in?
When Laura asks her what is wrong, Amanda accuses her of deception. Amanda tells Laura that she was by the business school in order to inquire about Laura’s progress. It was then that she found out that Laura had not been attending school.
For whom is the glass unicorn a symbol in the play?
The collection of glass figurines is used by Laura to escape from the dangers of the outside world. The unicorn is the central piece to her collection and is important because it directly symbolizes Laura. The unicorn represents Laura’s obsession with her handicap and also represents the uniqueness in her character.
What does Braggioni symbolize?
Braggioni and Eugenio represent contrasting Christ figures, with Braggioni serving as a grotesque perversion of Christ’s self-sacrifice and “love of humanity” while Eugenio represents Christ’s martyrdom. Braggioni’s self-aggrandizement and Eugenio’s self-negation are connected through this figure.