Christmas Imagery
All three acts of Absurd Person Singular occur at an annual Christmas party, each one hosted by a different couple. Accordingly, there are tastefully copious amounts of festive decorations on the set that vary by act. This pervasive imagery has an unpleasant irony: despite the fact that Christmas is supposed to be a time of love, enjoyment, and friendship, each of these Christmas parties is characterized more by tension, social pressure, and selfishness than anything else. The symbol of Christmas also applies to the play's major themes; the commercialization of the holiday makes the decorations feel, like everything else, a ploy for social advancement bereft of true meaning.
Middle-Class Imagery
The social and economic standing of each family is one of the play's primary concerns, and the observer watches as these standings fluctuate over the course of the three yearly parties. All of this is undergirded by a significant amount of what can be called "middle-class imagery"; that is, scenes of preparation and anxiety and figuring out how to present a collected and respectable exterior while covering up internal defects. This is further emphasized by the typical middle-class surroundings of the houses of the Hopcrofts and the Jacksons, both of whom are attempting to gain the favor of the more well-off Brewster-Wrights.
Musical Dancing Imagery
By the play's end, the power has shifted from the Brewster-Wrights (who have fallen from their high status and are in financial trouble) to the Hopcrofts (who have attained financial independence and now support the other two couples), and this shift in power is hammered in by a striking image: the so-called "musical dancing." Sidney proposes that the Jacksons and Brewster-Wrights play a humiliating game that involves the participants dancing around while holding absurd objects and adornments, and the others are too dependent on him financially to do anything but obey. This ridiculous image is striking, and it inevitably leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the observer as the play reaches its conclusion.
Invisible Characters Imagery
Some of the most important imagery in Absurd Person Singular takes the form of things and characters who should be present, but are not. These characters, such as the Potters and George the dog, are crucial to the story's background but never come onstage, making their absence extremely noticeable. This non-imagery has significant ramifications for the play's interpretation, much of which hinges on the absence of these pleasant middle-class representatives, giving the stage instead to the unpleasant, imperfect couples whose drama causes so much strife.
