A play like this could be extremely depressing, but it is rarely sad or maudlin. The men are funny, and their characters are so bizarre that the audience is always waiting to see what they think of next. The comedy is broad and slapstick, which draws the audience in and makes the characters extremely sympathetic. They are not afraid to act outrageously or laugh at themselves, but they want to be taken seriously just the same. Even though the audience does not know much about their backgrounds, they are still extremely likeable, and the audience finds themselves hoping they will make good on their attempt to escape and enjoy just one more adventure in life.

Perhaps the most interesting image in the play is the row of poplars that edges the garden where they carry out most of their imagined escapes. The poplars come up often in the play - the wind...

However, they also represent the bars that keep them from freedom. They are behind bars in the home because they cannot leave, and the poplars symbolize their prison they cannot escape. They cannot escape the home, just as they cannot escape their memories, and that is the true tragedy of this drama. In the final scene, the geese flying overhead symbolize freedom, as well, and Philippe knows they will never see the again experience the freedom of the geese. He says, "The one in front parts the air, so the others don't get too tired. During the whole length of their journey they take turns to lead the flock." Each of the men leads this flock in his own way, but with nowhere to go; they have little to live for. Ultimately, the play makes a statement about how society treats its aged veterans, and it is not a pretty or memorable picture.