Curtains
The Martins are seen reciting the lines of the Smiths at the end of the play. The imagery reveals to us that the characters are interchangeable; such an arrangement relates to the playwright's idea that we are becoming interchangeable due to our inability to communicate with one another.
The Fire
Mary recites a poem for everyone, and the imagery within the poem reveals that everything in the world is burning down, things that cannot be burned by fire are being burned. Moreover, he imagery within the poem reveals that the spaces between people are being burned down to the point that there is no air left in the relationships as communication is failing.
The Door
Mrs. Martin and Mr. Martin get into an argument about whether a door should be answered if you hear a knock at it. Mrs. Smith has just opened the door twice with no one there after hearing it be knocked upon. Finally, the Fire Chief is behind the door after the fourth knock. The imagery creates the question as to whether we should adhere to our societal duties or reject them.
Dinner Talk
At the beginning of the play, Mrs. Smith is doing all the talking, while Mr. Smith doesn’t respond at all except for a few clicks of his tongue. The imagery relates to the idea of the playwright that communication between people has broken down, and we see it from the very beginning with in the home life of this married couple.
