As a child, Tommy used to hide; he hid from his class mates, his teachers, and his family, especially his dad. He tries to hide from his very life. As Tommy grows up, he is still hiding, either amongst the pigs he loves, or later on, in the cold depths of a mine.  Tommy hides from making the tough decisions that life throws at him. Like so many of us, he is a mere spectator in his own life, never wresting control from the hands of fate and circumstance to make his own choices and walk his own path. Too late, he realises with bitterness what he has lost through hiding; that he is literally and metaphorically trapped. With one last act of courage and self-determination, he attempts to expiate his weakness, find meaning in his losses and give some value to his life—and death.