I think that ambiguity is the biggest thing that makes Buried Child stick out from other illusionistic plays. Throughout the play, there are numerous examples of ambiguity. To name a few:
1. The source of all of these vegetables that Tilden has gotten a hold of. Did he plant them? Is he stealing them from a neighbor? Are they miraculously growing in the yard?
2. What's up with Ansel? He's barely mentioned, and that plot never really gets resolved. We never get to know if Ansel really passed the way that Halie said he passed.
3. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge who Vince is? They couldn't have just forgotten who he was after a few years. What kind of games is this family playing?
4. What happened to Tilden in New Mexico? Did he commit a crime or get into trouble? Or, is he completely insane and just thinks that he is in trouble?
In general, the family doesn't have the kind of structure or the kinds of norms that other illusionistic plays have. It's more than just a power struggle. This family is playing a game, and only they know the rules to the game. To sum it all up, the family is living in a world of real circumstances, but their relationships with one another are not illusionistic.
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