In The Glass Menagerie, one of his characters is shy, passive Laura. She has very poor social skills and connects only with her "glass menagerie" of animals. Her favorite is the unicorn. Explain why and what this reveals about her character. Also explain the possible significance of its horn breaking.
due 11/21
11 comments:
The unicornm, much like Laura herself, has something odd about it. The unicorn is a horse with a horn, while Laura is just a girl with one leg longer than the other. Laura set the unicorn apart from the rest of her glass menagerie just like she choses to voluntarily isolate herself from everyone around her. The difference is hardly noticable to outsiders, but it troubles her to the point where she made herself believe that she was unworthy to socialize because of her difference. When the unicorn's horn breaks off as Laura talks with her male guest (whose name is temporarily escaping me...), she is able to finally stop centering her life around a "disability" that affects nothing more than her mental state.
P.S. Dearest Mrs. Maurno - I have missed a few of the blogs :( but by the end of tonight they will all be up. sorry
The glass menagerie is a symbol of Laura's timid nature and innocent disposition. It is fragile, prone to breaking, and must be carefully handled and cleaned. Likewise, Laura, because of her handicap, sees herself as being the same- delicate and not yet able to face the ills of society for fear that she might "break" like glass. However, once Jim visits her and she reveals her secret admiration for him, Laura is finally exposed to soceity through Jim. This turning point "breaks" Laura's humble shyness at the same time that the unicorn's horn breaks, causing it to be "like all the other horses" (2016). Similarly, Laura becomes just "like all the other horses" as she finally realizes how society functions, bringing love into her life and then taking it away once Jim reveals that he already has another woman. At this point, Laura has lost all her uniqueness and innocence, and everything else that tied her to the glass menagerie. By the end of the play, she becomes just like all the other heartbroken women in the world, just like Amanda after her husband left her.
The menagerie is Laura's way to seperate herself from the rest of the world. It provides an escape for her, but is also impeding her from making social contact with others. It symbolizes how "caged" she is. She does not dare to leave her house, and when she does she becomes ill. The unicorn, as Keely said, is the unique creature in the collection, as is Laura when compared to the rest to the world.
Laura’s glass menagerie represents her personality. Just like the figurines, Laura is fragile, as well as whimsical. The menagerie also represents the imaginary world that Laura has created, a world that is awash with color and is alluring. However, this world is entirely based on delicate illusions created by Laura. Eventually, however, Jim’s advances give Laura a new sense of normalcy. She begins to seem more like any average girl. Although she did transition, the stress of becoming "normal" results in her final shattering.
Laura's glass collection portrays to the audience her slight childish and naive characteristics. She obsesses over her menagerie, tending to it constantly and dedicating the majority of her life to these small figures. Laura also spends an ample amount of time on the fact of her handicap disposition. She worries over this impairment and allows it to affect her socially and mentally. Laura is like her collection, (especially the unicorn) delicate and pure. But this all changes after she meets Jim. The horn of the unicorn shatters and the unique asset of this glass piece is gone, symbolizing Laura's innocence also fleeing her and establishing her as any other women of her age; exposed to the happiness yet hardships of discovering love.
I believe that Laura doesn't know why she favors the unicorn, at least not consciously. I guess it is a sort of dramatic irony that the audience knows why she HAS to favor the unicorn in order for the symbol to make sense, while she consciously favors it for something else entirely. She might subconsciously identify with it, but I believe that she has entirely other reasons for liking it.
I always got the impression that Laura was slightly autistic. She is upset by new situations, such as the typography class, she is focused on some childish project, the Glass Menagerie, and she resorts to habitual actions in order to relieve stress - when she is scared by Jim's appearance, she puts on the ever-playing old record of her fathers. In a show of childish behavior typical of an autist, she spends her time making up stories for the animals in the Glass Menagerie. If we assume Laura to be autistic, the Glass Menagerie as a whole takes a new meaning. Just like some autists take refuge from a world so stressful to them in music, or mathematics, Laura hides away in her Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie represents her safe haven, her asylum from the world. When Jim accidentally breaks the horn of the unicorn, the centrepiece of the Glass Menagerie, he has broken Laura's Eden. She can no longer hide away from the evils of the world when they are so obviously made clear to her. The only question now is whether she continues hiding from the world, or whether she overcomes her autism to save the family in the time of need once Tom leaves.
Laura uses her glass menagerie to separate herself from the rest of society. She retreats to it when Amanda and Tom argue and it provides her with a sense of safety. The menagerie is also fragile like Laura. Laura cares for her glass animals in the same way that Amanda cares for Laura and tried to protect and shield her from the outside world. The unicorn is Laura's favorite because it is the same as all the other horses, minus it's one deformity. That's how Laura sees herself, she is exactly the same as other people, but her leg sets her apart. In reality, it is such a small deformity but Laura exaggerates it in her mind and lets it hold her back. The leg being broken by Jim freed Laura of her stigma because he made Laura feel as though her deformity was insignificant.
This unicorn's horn could also be representative of a need to change. The unicorn is one in its own, a horse of a different color (or anatomy). This applies to Laura not only physically but socially as she shies away from most contact. However, she is constantly pressured to make these changes, and in the heat of another argument she sees one of her beloved objects broken. Suddenly, this object that was once unique is forced into normalcy. She feels the intensity of the argument, even if it is not directed at her right now, and thinks that soon this same intensity will be directed at her because she has not changed into what they want her to be.
The unicorn is a unique and rare character, like Laura herself. Laura is different and doesn't truly fit in with the rest, and the "glass" factor of the menagerie represents the "glass" barrier Laura has created for herself. No one can see the barrier that Laura feels in life, but Laura knows it is there. To emphasize the fact that most people can't see Laura's perceived barrier (she uses her leg problem as an excuse), Jim and other people view the glass unicorn as a horse (the normal and average person).
Once the unicorn's horn breaks off, the glass animal is truly just another horse. This symbolizes how Laura has broken away from her lovely dreamworld and finally has faced the reality of her life.
-Diana Heriford
(late explanation sent to mmaurno@gmail.com)
Keely, great comment on what the disability really affects!
Gary, right on with how Laura is shaped by society.
Martin, you insight into Jim is sharp.
Grace, nice job with characterizing Laura through the menagerie.
David, interesting comments on Laura's possible autism.
Hunter, interesting analysis on the unicorn.
Diana, good comment about Laura facing reality.
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