Bleach

The bleach that Abi drinks is symbolic of disruption. A toxic substance, the bleach that Abi consumes destroys the mood of the narrator's birthday. The bleach also robs the narrator of the parental attention that she believes she is owed on her birthday. In this way, the bleach disrupts the narrative atmosphere and upsets the narrator.

Milk

The milk that Mom considers giving to Abi is symbolic of desperation. Unsure how to resolve the issue, Mom pours Abi several cups of milk that she ends up dumping in the sink. These actions expose the mother's vulnerability, confusion, and despair.

White Underpants

The narrator's white underpants are symbolic of innocence. As white is archetypically and literarily representative of purity, when the narrator removes the underwear she is exposing herself and thus shedding her innocence. This loss of innocence, however, is violent in that she is compelled to...