There are two physical cages in this story, the elevator that takes the father, Mr. Simpson, to his work down into the mines and the jail cell near the end of the story. Calling the elevator a cage symbolizes the father’s feelings of working at a dead-end job. He also uses this ‘cage’ as a threat to both of his sons as a horrible place that they will end up if they don’t succeed in their education. The impact this threat has on Billy was evident the time Mr. Simpson wanted to take his boys to the mine when it was open for tours. Gene was not at all interested in going and bluntly said as much, but Billy didn’t want to hurt his dad’s feelings so he went even though he wasn’t interested. “…it w

The restrictions of psychological cages can be as limiting and difficult to overcome as any physical, concrete cage, perhaps even more so. A psychological cage isn’t something that you can necessarily determine or even clearly define; rather it is determined for you by family, community and society as a whole. Billy had gone to the extreme in an attempt to escape the daunting responsibility for his brother’s behavior, however in the end he willingly put himself right back into his restrictive cage by agreeing to continue helping control the consequences of his brother's behavior. Sometimes we choose our cages and sometimes they're chosen for us.

Gene and his mother’s psychological cages are quite similar as are Billy and his father’s. Gene and Mrs. Simpson appear to have very little behavioral restrictions and tend to be quite egocentric. On the other hand, Billy and his dad, Mr. Simpson, are quite restricted within their psychological cages. They are united in their concern for Eugene.

as up to me to slobber and grin like some half-wit over the idea, to perk him up, see?” (pg 369). Within Billy’s psychological cage was the need to please his father and care for others. While riding the elevator down into the mine, Billy became claustrophobic and had to be taken back up without seeing the mine. Another physical cage in the story that caused Billy to have the same panicky, claustrophobic reaction was the cell at the police station in which Billy almost spent the night. Billy describes being locked up as torture as he feels sick and dizzy.

The mother, Mrs. Simpson, seems to have given up on trying to guide and direct her family’s lives in an emotional sense. She may now just look after their physical needs, but then appears to retreat to her bedroom and makes herself unaware of any emotional needs. “I think she’s just so goddamn tired of the

Some topics in this essay:
Gene Simpson, , Gene Gene, Marvin Billy, Billy Gene, Eugene Billy’s, psychological cage, psychological cages, gene gene, brother’s behavior, responsibility brother’s behavior, billy’s psychological cage, police station, claustrophobic reaction, family’s lives, family community, responsibility brother’s, jail cell,