Tom's dilemma lies between his obligation to family and his obligation to self. Tom feels obligated as the man of the house in the absence of his father to provide for his mother and sister. At the same time, however, Tom wants to seek his fortune as a poet. He feels pinned down by his familial obligations and trapped by his controlling mother. This leads to a great amount of resentment toward his mother, who desperately clings to her son and attempts to manipulate him so as to prevent him from acting like his father and leaving the family. Without attempting to do so, Laura embodies Tom’s obligations to his family; while Amanda constantly reminds him of his responsibility, it is Laura’s mental and physical state that forces Tom to remain. He believes that Laura is mentally unstable, and responds accordingly, often acting extremely gently and cautious around her.
Ironically, it is Amanda’s controlling attempts to keep Tom at home that drives him to leave. Amanda’s accusations against Tom of drinking and lying to the family, despite the fact that he is the one providing for the family, ultimately wear on him. When he is fired from his job, he feels he is unable to provide for his family and leaves to seek his fortune elsewhere. In a rather poetic ending, Amanda’s actions—made out of fear of Tom leaving the family like his father—cause Tom to leave as she feared. By leaving however, he never truly resolves his dilemma, as indicated by his final soliloquy that details his regret and guilt. In avoiding his dilemma, Tom attempts to escape from it, yet he soon learns that he cannot escape his own guilt.
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