Glass Menagerie

Pragmatic criticism has clearly defined expectations of the relationship between the text and the audience. This type of criticism views the work as something that has been created to achieve certain effects on the audience (such as aesthetic pleasure, moral instruction, certain emotions, etc.) and it judges the work according to whether or not these effects have been achieved. Pragmatic theorists believe the purpose of their text is to teach a lesson that has no end that stays with the audience forever. (Biographical Criticism, 10)
Williams uses his characters' desire of escape to demonstrate the WANT to just get away from our realities...to just never exist as a means of solving all our problems. His use of symbolism throughout the play just enhances the lesson we learn. It's easy to escape, but it's selfish and irresponsible to leave or family, friends, and lives behind. We need to be strong and overcome the weakness within us. The play uses many symbols which represent many differ...