Mean ol' Tennessee Williams in this scene gets his poor audience's hopes up in order to just break us down in the situation with Laura and Jim. They seem to be completely hitting it off as they are enjoying conversation with each other. Jim seems to be the only person who can truly relate to Laura and he even diagnosis her problem as an "inferiority complex" that she just needs to feel better about herself, and for a brief moment she does, with Jim. Jim gives Laura this boost of confidence she most likely has never had before. He tells her she's pretty and reassures her that everybody has issues by saying, "And everybody has problems, not just you, but practically everybody has got some problems. . . you will see lots of people as dissappointed as you are" (page 76). He even goes as far as to give her the autograph she's wanted from him since high school and just to put the cherry on top, he kisses her!! Even this being the second time reading this play I was completely enthralled by this scene. Somehow I thought, for sure, that Jim was going to change his mind this time. That everything was going to work out well for Laura and Jim and they were going to run away and live happily every after. But I suppose that's not how Tennessee Williams wanted his play to turn out in this obviously post-modern work, because life just never seems to end up this way, does it? No, poor Laura only gets a glimpse of this happiness with Jim to soon find out he's engaged to the other woman Betsy. Oh, what a disgrace...isn't that a cows name? I mean come on Jim. Although I must give him credit, he did tell her quickly. He could have been a COMPLETE scum bag and left that evening allowing Laura to believe there'd be a future with him when all along he's in love with another woman. Laura too handled herself quite well. She ended up giving Jim her favorite piece of glass, the unicorn, which is now broken (SYMBOLISM!). They definitely both acted quite cordial in this situation...which I don't know if I could have done the same myself.
Now going on to Tom in this last scene. I mean come on Tom!! He just leaves in the end..leaving his poor mother and handicapped sister behind. I mean, what is going to come of them? I mean I do understand why he wanted out. He was yearning for adventure and freedom and Amanda was a nagging mother, but I just feel like he could have left on better terms. And, his decision haunts (duh! I mean he LEFT them!). He says, "Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!" (page 97). The sad thing is though, even though Tom left his "coffin" he definitely wasn't able to escape without undoing a single nail. It seems as though he still feels guilt from his decision. That even though he is gone from the environment he felt to be so poisonous, he isn't free.
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