"But I get up. I go! For sixt-five dollars a month I give up all that I dream of doing and being ever!" (1247)
One of the literary devices used so far in the play is irony. One example is shown in the quote above. This scene is where Amanda is questioning Tom's suspicious routine of going to the movies, staying out late, and drinking, which causes her to think he's selfish. On the contrary, he voices his argument, saying he is the one who supports the family by giving up his dreams and working, unlike Amanda or Laura. So it's ironic that Tom's activities make him a bit unlovable, yet he is the one financially holding the family together.
Another instance where irony is present is in the conversation between Tom and Amanda about how a girl either becomes a businesswoman or marries a successful man. In regards to failing to find her husband's true character, Tom says, "Then how did you happen to make a tragic mistake?" (1259). So another irony is that Amanda is preaching to Tom about how Laura needs to find a wholesome man with character to marry, yet Amanda's husband ran off sixteen years ago, so she has no room to talk.
Also, a bit of irony and juxtaposition is when Amanda tells Laura that the gentleman caller she will be meeting is James O'Connor, a high school crush of hers. Instantly, Laura freaks out, having another sort of panic attack, to the point where she struggles to open the door. So this scene went from an obsessive mother getting prepared to show off her disinterested daughter to an extremely anxious daughter with a calm and charming mother.
One of the literary devices used so far in the play is irony. One example is shown in the quote above. This scene is where Amanda is questioning Tom's suspicious routine of going to the movies, staying out late, and drinking, which causes her to think he's selfish. On the contrary, he voices his argument, saying he is the one who supports the family by giving up his dreams and working, unlike Amanda or Laura. So it's ironic that Tom's activities make him a bit unlovable, yet he is the one financially holding the family together.
Another instance where irony is present is in the conversation between Tom and Amanda about how a girl either becomes a businesswoman or marries a successful man. In regards to failing to find her husband's true character, Tom says, "Then how did you happen to make a tragic mistake?" (1259). So another irony is that Amanda is preaching to Tom about how Laura needs to find a wholesome man with character to marry, yet Amanda's husband ran off sixteen years ago, so she has no room to talk.
Also, a bit of irony and juxtaposition is when Amanda tells Laura that the gentleman caller she will be meeting is James O'Connor, a high school crush of hers. Instantly, Laura freaks out, having another sort of panic attack, to the point where she struggles to open the door. So this scene went from an obsessive mother getting prepared to show off her disinterested daughter to an extremely anxious daughter with a calm and charming mother.
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