Hyena

The hyena is a symbol of gender deviance. The narrator of "The Debutante" is best friends with the hyena, an animal that has two sexual organs. The debutante defies gender norms herself by preferring to stay home alone reading Gulliver's Travels rather than attending a ball in her honor.

Tartar

Tartar is a symbol of the magical innocence of girlhood. In "The Oval Lady," Lucretia plays with this rocking horse long after she should have grown up, and her father punishes her by burning it.

The Lions

The lions are symbols of bloodthirsty political scheming. In "The Royal Summons" the narrator is asked to throw the old, mad queen into their den.

The Rats

The rats are symbols of an unwanted but necessary labor force. The soviets donate the rats to Mexico, who does not want to use them for surgeries or psychoanalysis, because they are...