More Symbolism

There are a few threads on symbolism on this board. But I'm surprsied that no-one mentioned easiest to pick out yet hardest to explain symbol - Meg Ryan

Why have her play three different characters? I think it was that Joe was looking so hard for his place in life and his potential soul-mate that he saw her in all his potential loves. Maybe Angelica and Patricia weren't identical twins, but we saw them how Joe saw them. Same with DeDe. As if he knew what he was looking for, but didn't know where to find her. He saw Patricia's face in DeDe and Angelica, but the later two were'nt ready to take that leap with him.

Joe wanted to be with DeDe, because he was ready to shed that sorrowful shell he held while at his job. But DeDe wasn't ready. She didn't want to be led down a new path and then abandoned through Joe's death. She was still scared. It was there that Joe felt if he was to be with anyone before his leap, that they would have to be able to take a similar leap into the unknown. That's why he refused Angelica. She wasn't nearly ready.

But Patricia was. I wonder if the wigs that Meg wore for Dede and Angelica were for more than to set the characters apart. As if he saw glimses of his soul-mate in DeDe and Angelica but not all of her. Meg didn't wear a wig playing Patricia. Patricia represented ALL of what Joe was looking for in a companion.

Anyone else have a thought on this or another form of symbolism in the movie? I think the Vocano is an obvious symbol for the "big leap into the unknown" and of couse as mentioned elswhere the shape of the path to work, the lightning bolt, and path up the volcano is the "crooked path of life" and is seen whenever Joe makes a life change.

"The more I see, The less I know, the more I want to let it go." - RHCP