Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Flowers? Aw, You Shouldn't Have…
Glass flowers: Do they symbolize love at first sight, or magical power? When Dunstan wanders the Faerie Market, the chiming sound of glass flowers catches his ear, and then the beautiful booth girl catches his eye. In fact, Dunstan is downright enchanted by the sight of her:
Dunstan could not help but observe that the color of sunlight glittering through the purple crystal was inferior in both hue and shade to that of her eyes. (1.130)
He buys a glass snowdrop from her for the price of a kiss, and presents it to Daisy, his intended. But then things go south. Dunstan doesn't let Daisy wear the snowdrop at their wedding (1.217), and it's implied that he puts it away in storage. So we're thinking that the snowdrop represents Dunstan's attraction to—and love for—the nameless booth girl, which is why it's not appropriate for Daisy (his human partner) to have the flower after all.
The flower, like Dunstan's attainment of his Heart's Desire, becomes a thing of memory and the past, to be locked away and only occasionally thought of. Until Dunstan gives Tristran the flower when he heads to Faerie, that is. Tristran doesn't know any of this, though, so he's not attached to the object. In this way, we can also see the glass flower working as a symbol for Tristran's disconnection from his past.
Flower Power
When the nameless faerie girl is describing the glass flowers at the booth to Dunstan, she says:
"They are also used in certain spells and cantrips. If sir is a magician…?" (1.132)
Nope, Dunstan's as ordinary as they come. Sorry, lady. When Tristran barters the snowdrop for passage to Wall, though, Madame Semele—who is magical—can't wait to get her greedy little hands on it. She tells him:
"It is a frozen charm […] A thing of power. Something like this can perform wonders and miracles in the right hands. Watch." (8.164)
And then she uses it to transform him into a dormouse. The glass flower, for all its beauty, has become something utilitarian in the hands of the witch—a means to an end, a tool for enchantment. This doesn't contradict the earlier meaning we discussed, though, because like love, the flower can be used to harm people, or to improve their lives.