Incidents Around the House

Ducks and geese are a symbol that represents the dangers lurking in childhood and the domestic sphere. Initially, Bela sees them in the wallpaper at her doctor’s office, as part of the decor intended to make the office welcoming to small children: “The wallpaper is all a bunch of ducks and geese chasing one another. It smells like medicine in here. There’s a little sink and a jar with green lollipops and I sit on the gray cushion with the white paper on it” (45). Friendly animals are common in decor directed at children, and the wallpaper is unremarkable in the pediatrician’s office.

However, as Bela becomes more frightened during her visit and as Dr. Smith asks more questions about Other Mommy, she begins to perceive the wallpaper as something sinister. In her mind, the much larger “mean” geese are tormenting the “scared” ducks: “When you look at one goose and one duck, you think the other geese are catching up to the other ducks. You think some of the ducks have already been caught. Are bleeding” (45). These symbols of childhood turn sinister, and Bela’s ideas are confirmed when Dr. Smith tells her to watch the wallpaper: “They’re more interesting than they let on.