A factory chimney (symbol)
A factory chimney is a multifaceted symbol. Initially, the factory chimney used to be a symbol of the Industrial Revolution, a transformation from an agricultural to industrial state. It is a symbol of prosperity, for functioning plants and factories mean more working places. It is also a “phallic symbol” for Robyn. She might be right, for factories and plants used to be a realm of men. Of course, women and even children used to work there, but only men, owners of those factories and plants, could make decisions.
Sleeping dogs (allegory)
Sleeping dogs is an allegory which is used to denote family problems. When Victor says “let sleeping dogs lie”, he means that he doesn’t want to discuss his family problems. To be more precise, Victor means a complete absence of his and Marjorie’s sex-life. A phrase “sleeping dogs” may also have a literal meaning. Marjorie takes Valium in order to sleep better and it saves Victor from unnecessary communication with her. He simply waits till she falls asleep and only then comes to bed. A sleeping dog doesn’t bark and doesn’t bite. The same is with problems. One may simply pretend that everything is all right and continue living in illusion.
The Industry Year (motif)
The Industry Year is a governmental initiative which is supposed to close a gap of misunderstanding between two unrelated spheres such as the manufacturing sphere and the educational sphere. The mere idea of it seems to be rather ridiculous, but, as it turns out to be, the main characters of the story only benefit from it. It is really useful to distract from one’s own needs and problems and see how others live and what kinds of struggles they have.
