Previous

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Pockets

In Brighton Beach Memoirs, pockets in clothing symbolize the fullness or emptiness of life. Nora remembers checking her father’s pockets every day as a child. They held excitement for her because she never knew what treat they would yield, but they also represented his love for her. When Dave died, the pockets were emptied and remained so, symbolizing his absence from Nora’s life. Stanley’s pockets also emerge as significant. When they are empty, they represent both the loss of his salary and the loss of honesty because he lied that he lost his money due to a hole in his pocket. But when Stanley gives Eugene the picture of the nude woman, he takes it from a jacket pocket, showing the pocket as a place from which good things flow. In many ways, these pockets and their contents show the connections between the family members. Full pockets signify close relationships, while empty pockets signify their loss.

The Heart

The human heart represents fragility and weakness in the play. Laurie suffers from a “flutter” in her heart, which renders her frail and unable to perform even the least tiring of household chores. Whether Laurie actually has a condition is called into question by Eugene, but Blanche uses the flutter as an excuse to keep Laurie inside the house, nearby, as a substitute for her dead husband, Dave. Blanche’s fear prevents her from creating a new life for her family or allowing Laurie to experience the normal responsibilities of growing up. Jack, by contrast, suffers a concrete injury: a heart attack. In his case, the heart attack symbolizes the extreme pressure he puts on himself to support his family.

Blanche’s Eyesight

Blanche’s poor eyesight symbolizes her inability to see her family and herself clearly. Even when wearing her glasses, Blanche is unable to see well enough to work. After Dave’s death, Blanche manages to provide for her children’s financial support through the Jerome family’s generosity, but she relinquishes her role as the emotional support they also need. Her actions make Nora feel unloved, and she uses Laurie as a crutch to avoid forming relationships outside of her family. Blanche is unable to see how her lifestyle and choices hinder her daughters from growing into independent women.

Nora

Nora emerges as a symbol of Eugene’s burgeoning and unfamiliar sexuality. Eugene thinks and talks about women’s bodies and masturbation frequently, and Nora is his primary focus. The fact that Eugene chooses her as the object of his lust, despite her being his cousin who lives with him, shows that he is both drawn to his growing sexuality but also views it as frightening and forbidden. When Stanley gives him a picture of a naked woman at the end of the play, this image of a stranger provides a much healthier outlet for Eugene’s sexual yearnings. Eugene will now have a chance to assuage his curiosity about the female body without fear of guilt or anyone else’s judgment.

Previous section Motifs

Take a Study Break