Prisoners of Delusion Escaping can be interpreted in many different contexts. To break free, to get away, or even to gain or regain liberty. However, no matter what way it is defined, there is no way to truly escape. In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, this is a prominent theme he tries to convey. In order to do this, he writes the entire play based on symbolism. In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses symbolism to effectively support the theme that there is no real escape from reality. Williams uses Tom as a symbol of himself. In the play, Tom is constantly trying to get away from the unhappy environment he lives in, just as Tennessee Williams is trying to escape from the guilt of his sister. One of the representations for the play is Williams trying to reach a realization of his sister’s illness and “exorcise his guilt” over not being able to do anything to help her (viii). He tries to write the play to escape from this guilt, but ultimately nothing can cure him. Tom is symbolic of Williams in the play, as he also tries to escape from his family, and especially his feelings for his sister. He only escapes temporarily before he comes back to the dreadful household, for one cannot permanently find their way out of reality. Although Tom finds his way out of his life with Amanda and Laura, he found himself to be “more faithful than [he] intended to be,” not being able to leave Laura in his past (vii. 97). Much like Williams, Tom never escapes the box that he