The Strawberry Pencil Case

The strawberry pencil case is a symbol of O and Dee’s affection, intimacy, and trust. Dee generously exchanges her own Snoopy pencil case for it, as O is worried that he will be teased for having his older sister’s pink case. However, Dee looks on it as a gift from him, cherishing it as a symbol of their bond. In the original Othello, the titular character gives his wife Desdemona a handkerchief that belonged to his mother to cement their bond. Like the pencil case, it is decorated in strawberries, though in the play these are dyed with a virgin’s blood. When the pencil case goes missing, O takes this as a sign of carelessness or even disloyalty. In this light, the token object comes to represent Dee’s betrayal, rather than her gesture of kindness.

Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song”