The use of style in The Glass Menagerie

Essay by damnitamitHigh School, 11th gradeA, March 2004

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Style is the novelist's choice of words and phrases, and how the novelist arranges these words and phrases in sentences and paragraphs. Style allows the author to shape how the reader experiences the work. For example, one writer may use simple words and straightforward sentences, while another may use difficult vocabulary and elaborate sentence structures. Even if the themes of both works are similar, the differences in the authors' styles make the experiences of reading the two works distinct. Many novels have two layers of meaning. The first is in the literal plot, the second in a symbolic layer in which images and objects represent abstract ideas and feelings. Symbolism is an invaluable literary tool that may be employed by authors or playwrights to aid in the development of characters or to display themes in novels. Using symbols allows authors to express themselves indirectly on delicate or controversial matters. In the play The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, Williams uses many symbols, which represent many different things.

Many of the symbols used in the play try to symbolize some form of escape or difference between reality and illusion, displaying how the characters are separated from reality. The symbol of the glass menagerie is the set of glass menagerie itself, representing the bridge between the illusory world of the Wingfield's and the world of reality.

Laura Wingfield and her world are symbolized by her menagerie of glass figurines. The different animals in the menagerie represent many different aspects apparent in Laura. The state of her emotions is fragile like her animals; in particular, the unicorn represents her uniqueness. To begin, the animals in the menagerie are representative of Laura in that when light is shone through them, they can appear very beautiful and interesting. When others get to know Laura,