The Glass Menagerie

     Oh the symbolism in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.  I definitely believe that the glass menagerie symbolizes Laura's fragility in the play.  When they break, they symbolize Laura breaking as well.  They show how delicate she really is.  After Jim broke the unicorn, Laura "places the unicorn in the palm of his hand. . ." (1285).  She will forever be broken because of him, and she wants him to know that.  I believe that Laura likes making these glass menageries because she is trying to prove to herself that she is strong.  However, when they keep getting broken it just shows how fragile she really is.  When the horn of the unicorn is broken, the unicorn becomes a horse.  It became something normal and does not describe Laura anymore.  She cannot become normal without breaking somehow.  She knows this and decides to give the broken unicorn to Jim representing all that he has done to her.