glass menagerie one of the celebrated text of Tennessee Williams, it can be manifested at various level and it has symbolic meaning in terms of the title itself too. Although in the family, the relationship between one another is quite disorganised, dysfunctional, inappropriate and questionable. Manifestation of the title The Glass Menagerie and it's deeper meaning to which the title foreshadows. The text opens with the family having supper. As this dinner continues it seems clear that they are living in a single parent household along with mother, Amanda, who is fantasized in her youth, a son, Tom, who is looking for an attempt to separate himself from the dysfunction of his mother, and a daughter, Laura, a physically handicapped that hampers her from participating in day to day activities including interacting with people. But as the story puts forward along with Laura is somewhat broken out of her shell, Tom moves out, and Amanda comes close to her daughter. The title “The Glass Menagerie” seems to suggest transparency, fragileness as well as menagerie refers to the fragile world, which need special attention and care, which elucidates exactly what this family is like and requires. Analysing the play in terms of their relations to the title it seems clear that the title has more meaning then it meets at first glance. Some may argue that the title has no relation as far as the play is concerned so far, due to the dilemma such as who is the Central character? and how the title does not help in defining the underlying meaning of the play? These questions may very or change, but the question, why is “The Glass Menagerie” a suitable title?
The glass menagerie is an apt title because of it's symbolically an illusive perspicacity which leads towards a certain mystery to the play, it unfolds demure quality to the characters in relation with life, and it provides to the symbolic meaning to the characters.
In the play there is a scuffle scene between Tom and Amanda when they are having an argument about Tom and where he spent his time when he leaves home after work. As the scuffle arises Laura’s collection of figurines shatters that composed of delicate glass which shaped as animals which symbolises Laura and her delicacy itself.. Glass is both fragile and delicate which puts some lights to describe Tom and his mother’s affinity, and the figurines glass scatter at the time when there own relationship cracks. The mystery is why this glass? Why the glass menagerie at this particular time? The implied Enigma would reflect the fact they are in somehow like the glass figurines and are decorated in a glass case making them venerable, fragile and easily broken.
The titles mystery is not just towards the character’s delicacy, but the mystery of the titles affiliation with impossible dream and illusion of life surrounded by the fragile world of illusion and dreams of life.
It is clear to point out the irrelevance of Amanda’s fantasized illusion and dreamlike attitude, tom’s get away attitude, and Laura’s over charged shyness, but there behaviors are not to completely out of context or irrelevant to reality of life. At the beginning of the play Tom says “"I reverse it to that quaint period, the thirties, when the huge middle class of America was matriculating in a school for the blind.”(282-83) Tom offered an insight to a time period when the economy was stumbling and struggling due to the immense depression. Life at that time was difficult, and for Amanda being the only parent in her household it was even more more difficult. Her reverting back to her past is not at all for fetched or uncommon. Humans desire to return back to their best time the time when they have enjoyed their lives so they are able to cope up with the present. All the characters found ways to cope up with there situations whether it is bunking class or going to the movies. Laura’s defect gave her introversion that most people suffer from, especially those in her position, and Tom’s desire to come out of the nest stems from him getting older and not being able to experience what young men of his age achieve. The complicated circumstances and the fragileness of the economy marks the title suitable and its relevance to life and it concatenates some specific meaning to each character.
The underlying meaning of the title brings the front the symbolic meaning to the characters. the title of the play The Glass Menagerie not only adds in the symbolic interpretation of the characters but it also adds in the theme of the play which sets the tone of the play and its meaning as illusion and impossible dream which construct the fragile world and its dreams which is so delicate as the glass figurines. and its characters would be just that, characters in the fragile world as the animals in the glass which can be scatterd with a slight touch of reality and all the illusions disperse. Because the play uses real life situations it makes easy to comprehend with the circumstances to the characters and actually understand each of them. Tom says at the end of the play “I didn’t go to the moon, I went much further-for time is the longest distance between places.”(329) through this statement by Tom, it can be drawn or analysed that these characters consist constructive and deeper desire as well as aspirations for more then offered. Being a narrator Tom represents all the characters and their insight of how they perceive the world around them. As the play puts forth towards ending, characters evolve from being associated or being in a glass case to finding their way out of that enclosure. “The Glass Menagerie” is no longer remained a relic or just a title about a glass figurines, but instead a window into the characters desire and unfulfilled dreams of lives.
Thus “The Glass Menagerie” is an appropriate title for such a symbolically enriched play. Some would not agree that “The Glass Menagerie” is an apt title. Amanda’s fantasized perception and fascination with the past, Laura’s “inferiority complex due to her physical disturbness” (321), and Tom’s urgency to come out from sense of captivity is as obvious as the title and is simple as symbolic as the characters perform. This can be interpreted as the family fails to achieve the desire rather their dreams become impossible and it breaks as the glass scatters. however they don't seem to be as transparent as the title suggest the glass, there are few moments which bring this belief that Amanda’s reasoning’s to live in the past is based upon her present condition and because of that she wants her kids have better lives then she had. Toms unhappy and displeased mood causes him to write poems, and narrate the play so we are able to understand and know what the family’s current situation is and could find a relation to them and our own lives. Laura’s shyness and her blossoming nature insinuates at the end of the play how much she is as a character and how she is the most important figure in what the title tends to demonstrate in the play.
Tennessee Williams takes into account the world of a middle class family in the 1930’s who faced various issues related with their day to day life and that they may or may not be fully aware of, and Makes it visible in the fore front so that the readers can feel what these characters experience. mother plays the role of both parents because of their broken household and offers her an image from her current situation which reconstructs her youth or dream world and brings to the front a son who sees his broken family and cannot help or fight the fact to get rid of, so he indulges into watching movies or to drink, and a daughter who is physically challenged and allowing this disability to control her back to be a women she should be, and the beauty she poses. These characters give insight view to what is real. Making a glance towards the title what the author wants to insinuates through the title The Glass Menagerie has to deal with one hand it breaks the preconceived notion and idealized perception about the dream world which is fragile and delicate as if made of glass and impossible to achieve, another hand it suggests that the idea of illusion and impossible dream is scatters with a slight touch of reality such as the glass figurines breaks. so it needs proper care and attention in order to achieve the dream. Means glass is easily broken, can have cracks, and makes even the tiniest flaws visible. So it needs proper action to maintain the delicacy in this rough world.
