The Glass Menagerie: Symbolism

     In Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie, he uses symbolism between Laura and the glass menagerie.  Laura is a very awkward person and finds comfort in her glass menagerie.  She is also very shy but feels she can be open with the glass statues.  She talks as if they are alive and personifies them as humans.  When talking to Jim she says, " 'Go on, I trust you with him!  There now-- you're holding him gently!  Hold him over the light, he loves the light!' " (Williams, 1281).  Here Laura refers to the glass unicorn as if the statue has feelings and is alive with human characteristics.  The glass in the menagerie is very fragile and breaks if the shelf is shaken a little.  Laura is like the glass menagerie because she too is very fragile and  cannot handle things that cause a little anxiety, or that "shake" her.  Therefore there is a symbolic relationship between Laura and her fixation with the glass menagerie and the glass menagerie itself.