In a Bar
Austin gives a speech about how his father left his false teeth in a bag of chop suey in one of the bars up and down the highway. The imagery creates for the reader the understanding that his father takes what is valuable and plops it into a bag of food that will be rotten in a couple of days, and by leaving it in some bar on a highway this creates specific imagery. The imagery of being forgotten, of loneliness, of giving what good remains of yourself to a transient place on a forgotten highway. All of this imagery allows us to understand how Austin feels about his relationship with his father.
Coyotes
During the play, Shepard instructs that the sound of coyotes yapping should increase as the days go one. This sound creates an imagery that the two brothers must deal with. It's the image of nature, the wild impeding on their civilized lives. This also represents how the wild nature within them is coming forth through this journey.
Toasters
The image of Austin shining up toasters after a night of stealing them from the neighbors helps us to know that he has given up his belief in a civilized society. He no longer believes in following the rules as they have gotten him nowhere, and this imagery shows that clearly.
Lights Out
The end of the place has Austin and Lee squaring off after Austin has nearly choked Lee to death. The curtain falls as the two stare each other down. This imagery evokes the understanding that these two men are going to kill one another. There is no civility left in them, only the uncontrollable wild and primal nature.
