The Storm
The storm in Act 3, described as "spectacular," creates imagery that emphasizes the internal turmoil plaguing each of the families. Notably, we see the storm after witnessing the struggle in Roy and Coral's relationship, as well as that within Meg, Gwen, and Jim's family. These families have their issues aired out in the open, with the dramatic majesty and spectacle of a storm driven by fairies. Tom's family, on the other hand, keeps their tensions buried. Separately, the ultimate conclusion of the play suggests that, despite these storms, we are able to find one another and hold onto life together.
"You look tired, Mum."
In Act 2, Scene 4, Tom and his mother run into each other late at night on the day before leaving for holiday. Their interaction is brief and rather perfunctory when read for the first time, but in hindsight, it takes on new significance. Particularly important is a moment in which Tom tells his mother "You look tired, Mum" (22). Though the audience doesn't know it at this point, Tom is aware that he is dying; further, he is aware that his parents are keeping the truth from him. He understands the weight they have placed upon themselves to keep him protected from the truth, and the fact that Vic does not answer Tom and simply goes to bed afterwards is emblematic of these circumstances.
Vic's Vacation Fantasy
In Act 4, Scene 1, Vic and Harry describe the idyllic scenes of their beach vacation to Gwen and Jim, with Vic doing most of the talking. In describing the natural beauty of their vacation, as well as emphasizing the isolation of her family in that place, Vic is reinforcing the central idea of "escaping into nature to heal" introduced elsewhere. This beautiful natural scenery will rehabilitate Gwen and Jim's relationship and, later, Coral and Roy's. Still, a more complex topic is the state of Vic, Harry, and Tom's family. Despite Vic's fantastical and praiseful descriptions of the landscape, it remains to be seen whether her family actively heals from having been there and taking it all in.
Act 5, Scene 1
Act 5, Scene 1 is a case study in strong imagery because no dialogue is used throughout the entirety of the scene. Rather than rely on speech, which can so easily be performative or disingenuous, Gow here wants to show us the raw and authentic motions of people who are just now reconciling after long periods of tension. Small details in the stage directions, like Roy's progression from confusion to passionately kissing Coral and her shells, are here very symbolic and shed a great deal of light on the transformations undergone by each of the play's central characters.
