ly turns to Tom, reproaching him for his stupidity and his ignorance of reality. Tom stalks off the movies. Before comforting her daughter, who has now withdrawn for good into her private world, Amanda screams after him that he can „go to the moon“, being nothing but a selfish dreamer.In the closing scene Tom, as narrator, explains that shortly after the gentleman caller disaster he was fired from the factory and escaped from the house to follow in his roving father’s footsteps. While he thus addresses the audience, Amanda is seen in the living room, as though through a sound-proof glass, soothingly talking to Laura. Tom sadly acknowledges that the diversion of the outside world have not erased the memory of his fragile sister. The whole play portrays Tom’s unsuccessful attempt to come to terms with a past that haunts him. As the scene dissolves he addresses the candlelit figure of Laura and halfpleadingly, half-commandingly says: „nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura-and so good-bye.“...
