The Flowers

The flowers symbolize beauty in this story. This is evident when Carter describes the city. She describes the beautiful colors that cover the people’s clothing and the buildings. However, Carter describes irises growing “in the gutters” (246). The gutters are typically unclean places, so the fact that flowers even grow in the most unpleasant areas highlights the beauty of the city.

The Eggs

The eggs in the anecdote represent the idea that love is feeble. The eggs all taste the same and have different colors. Tamburlaine’s wife uses this to suggest that the architect mistakes love for mere attraction, therefore concluding that the architect’s love is not as strong as he believes.

The Bowls of Liquid

The bowls of liquid serve as a counterpoint to the eggs. They suggest that love is powerful. Though all of the bowls look the same, one of...