Religious Imagery in The Glass Menagerie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religious Imagery in The Glass Menagerie - Essay ExampleReligious Imagery Act 1 Scene 4 belike one of the strongest religious images in the play is the trivialized representation of Christ in the person of the magician named Malvolio (i.e., hatred). Malvolio changes water into wine, then to beer, and finally whiskey. By picture one of the most popular miracles of Christ (The Wedding at Cana) as a mere trick or illusion, the image is a commentary on superficial religiosity, and Christ compared to a mere magician. Finally, Malvolio rises from a nailed coffin without any injury, quite apparently a farcical re-enactment of Christs Resurrection. In a way, the Resurrection encapsulizes the theme that runs through the play, which is all about escape. Act 2 Scene 8 Another religious symbol is also that of Christ as Savior, in the person of Jim, the should-have-been suitor to Laura. Tom brings Jim home on the orders of Amanda, in the hope that romance would blossom and they would eventually get married. The dinner scene was quite suggestively called contract in the stage direction, depicting Tom as the messenger who informs the virgin Laura of the coming of the Savior (Jim).