... causing his own seclusion. The name Tom is something that both of them share. This is an interesting phenomenon because since they are so close in character and in symbolism that one wonders if the names were not just a coincidence. However, at the culmination of each work of literature, the characters, ... through a similar action, display their distinct differences. Both Tom Joad and Tom Wingfield leave their families. The difference in character lies in the motives behind each Tom's departure. Tom Joad exists in a family with strong family ties. The family is intertwined and relies ....

• Word Count: 861
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... these relationships is a significant theme throughout the play. These "escapes" may be related to the fire escape, the dance hall, the absent Mr. Wingfield and Tom's inevitable departure. The play opens with Tom addressing the audience from the fire escape. This entrance into the apartment provides a different purpose for ... Her escape seems to be hiding inside the apartment, not out. The fire escape separates reality and the unknown. Across the street from the Wingfield apartment is the Paradise Dance Hall. Just the name of the place is a total anomaly in the story. Life with the Wingf...

• Word Count: 840
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... two different symbols that can be found in the Glass Menagerie are escape, which provides hope and diversion from the outside world and the glass menagerie, which is a metaphor for Laura's fragility and uniqueness. The first symbol, presented in the first scene, is the fire escape. "The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire escape, a structure whose name is ... escape represents a way to hide from reality by staying inside the illusionary world of the apartment. Another way Williams" ties escape into the story is through Mr. Wingfield, the absent father of Tom and Laura and ...

• Word Count: 702
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School