At the beginning of the play, Pelajia talks about dreams for her future, dreams that she can see from the roof of her house. How is the expression "window to a better life" employed in this play? Why do the women yearn for a better life and in what ways c

Pelajia's opening speech describing all the things she can see, and dreams of seeing, from the top of her roof is the first use of this metaphor. This is an example of how throughout the scene, and indeed the play, all the women reveal their dreams of life beyond the reserve, beyond the window. Annie, for example, dreams of being able to increase her record collection and spending more time with her daughter. Philomena dreams of a new toilet. The simplicity of these dreams, and of the dreams of the other women revealed later, functions on two levels. It illustrates the level of unhappiness of life on the reserve by showing how even simple things like toilets and records can make a big difference, and also illustrates how dreams don't have to be huge and earth shattering in order to make life more happy.