"You don't know things anywhere! You live in a dream; you manufacture illusions!"
-page 1288
This quote comes from Amanda directed towards Tom. It comes near the very end of the play when Amanda criticizes Tom for not knowing that Jim was engaged. The quote is an example of dramatic irony. Amanda is telling Tom that he is never aware of what is going on around him and just makes things up. The reader, however, knows that the play comes straight from Tom's memory. Since a memory is never 100% accurate, the entire play is a manufactured illusion of Tom's memory. The story is almost like one of his dreams. He replays the account from his own perspective. This characteristic of Tom is seen in Amanda and Laura also. All three characters have a limited point of view and only view a situation from their own perspective. Also, Tom, Amanda, and Laura have unrealistic expectations of their lives. Tom thinks he can do whatever he wants and find a job that he will love without being totally determined. Amanda thinks that she can force Laura to find a husband and force Tom to be more responsible. Laura thinks that she can be happy without trying to better herself and become independent. Jim on the other hand, can see a situation from several points of view and has reasonable expectations for himself.
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