The fire escape is always an escape for Tom when he wanted time to himself or just to relax from the household and warehouse life in which bothered him. One of the main reasons why he goes to the fire escape was to get away from Amanda's constant bickering at him.

"Amanda: You're not excused from the table.

Tom: I'm getting a cigarette. [Tom rises and walks toward the fire escape]" (7).

In this quote, Tennessee Williams uses the fire escape to show how Tom finds his freedom and escape from his home life. He uses this escape because he cannot stand Amanda's directions on how to eat his meal. This is significant because it shows how much Tom dislikes how his mother wants to rule his life. Tom also uses the fire escape as a getaway to smoke and talk about personal issues with Jim.

" Tom: [He lights a cigarette and goes over to the fire escape door.]

Tom: I like a lot of adventure." (33)

Tom is using the fire escape to relax from work and the household. The fire escape is the only place in the apartment where Tom can go and find freedom because it is his place to get away from Amanda. In this scene, Tom also uses the fire escape to talk about private things in which he doesn't want Laura or Amanda to know about. "I'm planning to change... I'm tired of the movies and I am about to move...Mother is not acquainted with my plans!" (60-2). This quote by Tom shows that he is using the fire escape to discuss personal issues about his future plans to leave Laura and Amanda. Tom is speaking to Jim out on the fire escape because he doesn't want Amanda to know. These statements show that Tom uses the fire escape to escape and have his own freedom by giving him a way to leave or just a place to be by himself. Through this Tom shows the reader that he is a man after a dream and will stand at nothing to see his dreams come true.

Tom is an adventurer, but has no adventure in his life except for his constant trips to the movies and this symbol is another way Tom escapes. The movies are Tom's way of escape from his life of work and nagging.

"Amanda: But Tom you go to the movies entirely too much!

Williams uses the symbolism of the movies, the fire escape, and the nailed coffin to illustrate his theme that the harshness of reality often leads to the desire of escape. Tom shows throughout the play the way he escapes his everyday life, which he doesn't like. All of these

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Approximate Word count = 1036
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)