What is Tom's biggest struggle?

Tom feels sympathy for his sister Laura, and wants to help
her break out of her shell. He invites his friend for dinner to help achieve this. But
Tom also feels a great deal of anger at his mother, and her neurotic, melodramatic
behavior, as well as her control and possessiveness, make Tom's life unbearable. He
can't wait to leave home to break free of his mother, but leaving laura alone would make
him feel guilty, since he knows that without him Laura would sink even deeper into her
loneliness. Tom struggles with a sense of responsibility for his sister, which suggests
he also feels responsible for Amanda, his mother, but his anger at Amanda prevents him
from realizing this.