Notebooks

The narrator's notebooks are symbolic of control. Because the narrator lives in constant fear of losing her husband, she uses her notebooks to record his behaviors and how she is processing them. The notebooks are the narrator's way of creating the illusion of stability and order in her relationship.

Fake Ring

The narrator's fake ring is symbolic of value. Even before she met her husband, the narrator had been learned to associate her self-worth with her ability to find and secure a husband. She therefore bought herself the fake diamond in order to garner this associated sense of stability and worth.

Mailbox Key

The narrator's secret mailbox key is symbolic of fear. The narrator has made a copy of the key so that she can spy on her husband. She uses the key in order to check if the husband is receiving illicit correspondences in the...