Symbolism of the Fire-Escape

Clearly, the blatancy of the fire-escape as a part of the set and the entrance to the apartment proves that the structure holds a deeper meaning. This is further supported by the stage direction sin scene one that state, "The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire-escape, a structure whose name is a touch of accidental poetic truth, for all of these huge buildings are always burning with the slow and implacable fires of human desperation" (Williams, 1235). Thus, because the symbolism is explicitly stated, we must discern the extent of the symbolism by paying attention to the instances when the fire-escape is used. At the end of scene four, Tom storms out of the apartment in anger and frustration at Amanda's requests:

"TOM (stamping to door). Oh, my go-osh!
 AMANDA Will you? (He opens door. Imploringly) Will you? ....
TOM (calling back). YES!" (Williams, 1254).

Just as a fire-escape is used to escape the burning and suffocating danger of a real fire, so Tom is escaping the metaphorical fire of his conflicts with Amanda. His poor relationship with his mother is what is causing his misery. Moreover, by leaving the home, he is also able to forget about his responsibility to financially care for his family, another suffocating aspect of his life.
However, permanent safety is achieved by using a fire-escape in a real fire. On the contrary, Tom can only temporarily escape the "flames of human desperation" (Williams, 1234); he subjects himself to the fire once more each time he re-enters his home. Nonetheless, the fire escape stands as a symbol of refuge for the characters in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.