Stamps (Symbol)
The stamps that Germaine has won function as a symbol for wealth and good fortune. They work as a loyalty reward credit for a local store. The other women envy Germaine for being the one to have received these stamps, as they do not believe she deserves them. As the play progresses, the stamps become an increasingly charged source of tension. The other women begin to steal them, justifying their actions with the rationale that they need them more. However, in reality, it is mostly driven by their personal resentment of Germaine and her oblivious request for their help.
The Club (Symbol)
The club where Pierrette works is considered a den of sin by Germaine and most of her friends. This perception is based on nothing but conjecture, as none of them, save for Angéline, have ever stepped foot in the place. The club functions as a symbol of the group's rigid morality. The women heap scorn on it, saying a number of unkind things about Pierrette for working there. However, Angéline reveals that many of the people at the club are quite kind and that she only goes there to drink Coke and laugh with the other patrons. In this way, the club works as a clear indication of how their inflexible worldview has skewed their perception of this place.
Luxuries (Symbol)
Lisette spends a great deal of her time talking about expensive things. She describes her recent trip to Europe as well as her fur coat. She uses these references as a way of distancing herself from the other women, in an attempt to show that she is of higher social status than they are. This comes through in her monologue as well, when she discusses her love of European culture and her distaste for the Quebecois social circle of which she is a part. In this way, these luxuries (vacations, clothes, etc.) work to indicate Lisette's strong desire to reject local culture and exist in some imagined space above her friends.
Pregnancy (Motif)
Pregnancy is a major motif in the second act of the play. Lise reveals that she has become pregnant and is terrified of how her family will respond to the news. Similarly, though she does not say it out loud, Rose feels that motherhood and marriage left her with nothing but an unremarkable present and no future to look forward to. Despite the fact that they nearly come to blows, both Rose and Lise view pregnancy as something that prevents women from being able to start their lives over, as it makes them suddenly responsible for another human life.
Contests (Symbol)
In the play, contests work as a symbol of misfortune. Over the course of the play, multiple characters ask if they look like a person who has ever won anything. What they mean by this is both that in a literal sense they have never won a contest, but also that they have not had fortunate lives. This idea is featured most prominently when Marie-Ange derides contests and lotteries as always rigged against the people who need the prize the most. This motif is used to reveal how even games of chance are colored by the women's life experiences, as it makes them cynical about the very idea they could have a fair shot at winning.
