The Sandbox Metaphors and Similes
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Mommy and Daddy
Mommy and Daddy's relationship is a metaphor for how the traditional responsibility of the role of patriarch has become void. Daddy is emasculated to the point that he no longer offers any opinion, thus he does not thinking for himself, nor does he lead anyone in the direction of growth and health.
Angel of Death
The Young Man is an actor playing the Angel of Death in the play. The fact that he doesn't know his name as he hasn't been given one by the movie studio yet is a metaphor for how young men yield to someone else giving them their identity rather than their father. Thus, Daddy is potentially what the Young Man may become if he does not claim his identity.
Under the Stove
Grandma says that she was given a place to live with Mommy and Daddy, under the stove with an Army blanket and a dish. This is a metaphor for how the family system of respect has broken down. That the children don't seek to care for their parents, but instead desire to put them somewhere where they are out of the way.
Mourning
Mommy feigns tears and mourning for the loss of her mother. As soon as the lights come up she is ready to move on, leaving her mother in the sandbox. This is a metaphor for the broken relationship between mother and daughter and the result of Mommy desiring to break free of anything that resembles the life of her mother.
Waiting
Mommy and Daddy sit in two chairs at the front of the stage just simply waiting for Grandma to die. The metaphor is that we, in the family unit, do the same. Instead of creating the ability for our parents to live out the rest of their days, we simply are waiting for them to die so we can move on with our lives without them as a burden.