Cages
The monkeys, at the zoo, of course, are in literal cages. But nearly every character is in a metaphorical cage. John feels trapped by his father's expectation that John will become a businessman li...
Bobo
Lorraine describes Bobo as "the ugliest, most vicious-looking baboon I've ever seen in my life" (6), and the zoo attendant who feeds him says, after his death: "Can't say I feel particularly sorry...
Mr. Pignati's Pig Collection
Mr. Pignati's prized pig collection, which is hidden in a small room behind a black curtain, seems to symbolize his happy life with Conchetta. The collection got started, he tells John and Lorraine...
Mr. Pignati's Husband-Wife-Lover-Boatman-Assassin Game
This game centers around a story about a murder of an adulterous wife. The players have to decide who is to blame for her death. The game seems to stand as an allegory for one of the central questi...
The Three Monkeys in the Pet Department at Beekman's
The "three little monkeys in a cage that were hugging each other like crazy" are a symbol of Lorraine, John, and Mr. Pignati's friendship. Thinking of how they must look as they roller-skate out of...