Crushed Dreams in The Glass MenagerieTennessee Williams is known for his use of symbol, tension, and irony. Williams uses all of these components to express the central theme of The Glass Menagerie: hope followed by despair. Each of the characters has dreams that are destroyed by the harsh reality of the world. As the narrator cheekily admits, “since I have a weakness for symbols, typical of poets,” symbols are central to The Glass Menagerie (Williams 30). Symbols are simply concrete substitutions used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One of the main symbols is the fire escape which has a separate function for each of the characters. This fire escape provides Tom with an escape from his cramped apartment and annoying mother. Therefore, the fire escape for him represents a path to the outside world. For the gentleman caller, the fire escape provides the means by which Jim can enter Wingfield's apartment, thus entering their lives. For Amanda, the fire escape allows Jim to enter the apartment and prevent Laura from becoming a spinster. The significance of the fire escape for Laura is that it is her doorway to the inner world where she can hide. It is ironic that when Laura leaves the safety of her apartment, she falls. This symbolizes Laura's inability to function properly in the outside world. Another recurring symbol is the glass menagerie which represents Laura's hypersensitive nature and fragility. Laura breaks as easily as a glass unicorn and is just as unique. When Jim accidentally collides with the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is no longer unique. Likewise, when Jim kisses Laura and then shatters her hopes by telling her that he is ... middle of paper ... structure of the entire play - an ironic pattern of romantic expectations, momentary fulfillment and ultimate loss. ' (Thompson 13). Works cited and consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94.Levy, Eric P. “‘Through Soundproof Glass’: The Prison of Self-Awareness in the Glass Menagerie.” Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537.Thompson, Judith J. Tennessee Williams' Plays: Memory, Myth, and Symbol. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Williams, Tennessee. The glass menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.