Tennessee Williams
A reoccurring theme in the play is the inability of Amanda to forget her past. Whether consciously or subconsciously, Amanda connects almost every contemporary occurence to something that occurred in her girlhood or upbringing.
One of the most easily noticed is her use of the phrase "Christian martyr," or simply "Christian" in general, throughout her conversations with others. It is reflective of her past in the southern town of Blue Mountain. Her deep religious roots bind her to the Christian ideals of others, and she lacks the ability to think of a life that deviates from these values.
Another is the constant reminder of her seventeen gentleman callers who were all "some of the most prominent young planters of the Mississippi Delta" and the eventual settling for Laura and Tom's father. Amanda seems to relive her youth by retelling of her frequent courtships, and she almost seems to force this same type of womanhood upon her daughter. It is almost as though her choice for husband was not sufficient, and Amanda hopes to keep Laura from making the mistake that she feels she had made herself. Amanda also uses jonquils, the flowers from her summer of suitors, to decorate the apartment for the arrival of Jim O'Connor in yet another attempt at reflecting her youth upon her daughter.
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