What does the "cape" represent in the story, A Daytime Driver?

A cape is a costume, usually donned by superheroes and superheroines. It is usually worn by heroes and heroines who can fly. Wearing a cape, then, becomes a dramatic symbol of power and freedom in most contexts. When the character Arthur wears a cape fashioned from his jail blanket in A Daytime Drama, however, it demonstrates his grandiose delusion from mental illness: a symbol of freedom flared behind bars from which he may never escape.