Kierstead's St. Andrew's Web Page - Home



Motif and SymbolismWhen you read The Glass Menagerie, did you notice any motifs? The purpose of a motif is to help unify the work and to reinforce the theme. The Glass Menagerie has several motifs. One is the recurring reference to "gentlemen callers"—those handsome, charming men with good jobs and prospects for a secure future, whom young ladies (and certainly their mothers) in the days of Amanda's youth regarded as desirable future husbands.Another motif in The Glass Menagerie is that of escape. Make a list of all the references to escape you can find in the play. /4 Marks______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Symbolism in “The Glass Menagerie”Very closely related to the use of motifs is the presence of symbolism in The Glass Menagerie. Speaking through Tom, as narrator, Tennessee Williams announces at the beginning of the play that he has "a poet's weakness for symbols." A symbol is an object, person, or event that has a meaning greater than its literal meaning. A symbol is, then, something that means more than itself. For example, red roses are symbols of love and passion, which are meanings that go beyond the rose as just a flower. To understand The Glass Menagerie at a deeper level, you need to know something about the significance of the symbols in the play. Keep in mind that symbols and motifs are closely related. 2. One of the symbols in this play is the glass menagerie itself. a. What does the glass menagerie symbolize? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________b. Think particularly about the unicorn and what happens to it in the last scene. What does the unicorn symbolize? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does the fire escape symbolize? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does the lighting symbolize?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does the music symbolize?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Critiquing The Glass Menagerie Assignment 1. You've now looked more closely at motifs and symbols in The Glass Menagerie. In one or two sentences for each, explain the symbolism of five of the following elements in the play. Be sure to identify each one you're discussing. ? the movies ? the coffin (Scene 4) ? the photograph of the father ? Paradise Dance Hall ? Blue Mountain ? the warehouse ? Blue Roses ? the unicorn? the gentleman caller ? money a. b. c. d. e. 2. Tom, the narrator of the play, is considered to be the central character. How does the playwright develop Tom's character in the play? In a few paragraphs, show how Tennessee Williams gradually reveals Tom's character by things he says or does or by how other characters relate to him. Refer to at least three specific scenes and the play's ending. ? ?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Amanda's character is full of ironic contradictions. Explain two ways that her character is ironic. ?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4.If you were an actor, which character in The Glass Menagerie would you like to play? Why??____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download