Pleasant Conversation
The discourse is this play is actually marked a noted lack of metaphorical language. Not that there is none at all; rather, there is simply not a lot of it. And why? Because the rich use of metaphor in conversation is a sign of intellectual development. And that is something which is absolutely missing in these characters. Therefore, the similes and metaphor reach down to scrape the bottom of intellectual discourse:
“You’re a pig. You’ll die like a pig in the mud. You’ll rot there in the mud. Your skin will bloat…it will get blue like rotten meat.”
Mae Gets Philosophical
And yet, suddenly and without warning, the level of metaphor rises a level. Quite a few levels, in fact; it gets downright philosophical. From dying like a pit to existential dread:
“I feel I am hollow…and offensive.”
The Brainy Type
Henry is apparently the brainy type. At least among this group of folks. And Mae is the type sexually drawn to a guy’s smarts. At least, that is what the metaphor going on here seems to strongly imply:
“I want your mind.”
“…My mind?”
“I want it.” (She kisses him intensely.)
Religion
It is always hard to tell when a religious person is using metaphorical language or being downright literal. But, since most of the time they are speaking of an entity whose existence can only be take on faith rather than proof, to the outside, it is never confusing and always metaphorical:
“Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever. For he satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry would with goodness.”
Mae and Lloyd
The specifics of the relationship between Mae and Lloyd is confusing. And entire monologue by Mae makes this clear. It leads to a strange simile which does very, very little to clarify the situation, creating a comparative aspect that only serves to deep the ambiguity:
“We are related but I don’t know what to call it. We are not brother and sister. We are like animals who grow up together and mate.”
