Symbols

"**Amanda: Why you should be afraid to open a door? Now you answer it, Laura!**
**Laura: Oh, oh, oh...[She returns through the portieres, darts to the Victrola, winds it franticially and turns it on.]**" (92) ===The antique record player represented a getaway for Laura, where she could be herself. She would grab some old records and to them, where her mind would relax and wander off to a world of her own for comfort. The Victrola would provide a source of escapism for Laura where she could be comfortable. She didn't have to worry about the fact that she was crippled and not like the rest of the girls.===





Glass Unicorn **

Laura: Yes. Jim: I hope it wasn't the little glass horse with the horn! Laura: Yes. Jim: Aw, aw, aw. Is it broken? Laura: Now it is just like all the other horses. Jim: It's lost its- Laura: Horn! It doesn't matter. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise." (125) **
 * "Jim: Did something fall off it? I think-
 * This piece is Laura's treasured item in her glass collection and it** **is a symbol of herself. The unicorn has been known to be a mysterious, rare, unique creature that is a perfect parallel to Laura since she is not like the rest of the girls who are outgoing and have gentleman callers. On the day she spent with Jim, the unicorn fell from a table and the horn fell off; Jim saw this as tragic because the unicorn had lost its unique feature but Laura saw this as a blessing since now it fit in with the other horses.**



The Movies

"I go to the movies because-I like adventure. Adventure is something I don't have much of at work, so i go to the movies."(63) The Movies represent Tom's desired lifestyle. He is employed at a warehouse and has to deal with his mother and sister and he can't wait until he is out on his own living his life with adventure like a movie.**




 * Blue roses :

"Jim: I used to call you Blue Roses. How was it that I got started calling you that? Laura: I was out of school a little while with pleurosis. When I cameback you asked me what was the matter. I said I had pleurosis-you thought i said Blue Roses. That's what you always called me after that! Jim: I hope you didn't mind. Laura: Oh, no-I like it." (112) This was the nickname that Jim gave to Laura in high school. She told Jim that she had pleurosis, being the reason she had missed school but he heard it as "blue roses". Blue roses symbolizes Laura because she's unique like them. In a bouquet of red roses (other girls), the blue rose (Laura) would stand out**.




 * The Fire escape

"I descended the steps of this fire escape for the last time and followed, from then on, in my father's footsteps."(137) The fire escape represented a getaway for Tom where he could escape the turmoil tension in his family. When times got difficult he'd step out into the fire escape to smoke and it became a peace haven but eventually it became the escape to his problems and family to enter the life he always wanted, like his father did a few years back when he deserted Tom and his family.**