One of the more significant examples of dramatic irony--a
contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to
be true--is Amanda's remark to Tom in their final
dialogue:
"Go,
then! Then go to the moon--you selfish
dreamer!"
Of
course, the irony here is that in many respects, Amanda is both selfish and a dreamer
herself. For all her concern about Laura and Tom, at the heart of this concern is
Amanda's desire to secure her future. If, for instance, Laura marries a gentleman
caller, then Amanda can be taken care of in her old age. Likewise, if Tom continues to
support the family and not abandon them as his father has, Amanda will also be safe. She
is not concerned about Tom's artistic desires; she simply wants him to serve his sister
and her.
That she is a dreamer is clearly evinced in Scene
6 when Amanda attends Laura's dressing as thoug it her wedding dress that she
ceremoniously alters for her daughter. The significance that she places upon this visit
from one of Tom's friends is also unrealistic. For example, she interrogates Tom about
Jim O'Connor, wanting to know his name, what he looks like, what his salary is, if he
drinks, if he has character, etc. Then, when Jim arrives, Amanda greets him in the
voice of a Southern belle, sweeping Jim away with her "gay laughter and
chatter." Besides, she is dressed as in her youth, shocking Tom at her appearance. And,
yet she tells Laura in at one point in the
scene,
"Fantastic whim and behavior. Preposterous
goings on!"
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