Sample Essay

In “the Glass Menagerie”, the fire escape represents a portal, or bridge, between the deceptive world of the Wingfields and the real world. This gateway seems to support only one-way passage, but the direction varies for each character. For Tom, the fire escape is the way out of the world of Amanda and Laura and an entrance into the world of reality. For Laura, the fire escape is a way into her world – a way to escape from reality. Both examples can readily be seen: Tom will stand outside on the fire escape to smoke, showing that he does not like to be inside, to be a part of the illusionary world. Laura, on the other hand, thinks of the fire escape as a way in and not a way out. This can be seen when Amanda sends Laura to go to the store and Laura trips on the fire escape. It also shows that Laura's ...