Obituaries
Dan is a writer seeking to create novels, but currently writes obituaries. This is a symbol that his ability to write anything meaningful is dead as he hasn't matured to a place where he can fully utilize the English language to create life.
Mystery Scar
Alice has a scar on her leg in the shape of a question mark. This is a symbol that she has a wound that we as the audience have no knowledge as to where it came from. Thus, Marber is letting us have an insight that Alice has been wounded before and this is her past life experience that has brought her here to this present moment.
Alice's Story
Dan finally writes a book, which is based on Alice's former life as a stripper. It is a symbol that he has attempted to make himself famous by using the wounds of another as his story to tell. it also represents his inability to tell an original story.
Tears
Anna photographs Alice after being confronted about Dan coming on to her. The image that comes out is one of Alice with tears coming down her face. The symbol is how we exploit pain in order to make art, and Anna does this by placing Alice's photograph in her showing.
Alone
Anna is left alone at the end of the play. Alice is dead, Larry is with another woman and Dan is off to New York to identify Alice's body. The symbol is that this twisted game of lust the quartet has been playing has paid off in death and isolation.
