House of Death
The murder that Walter is involved in takes place nowhere near the house nor any subsequent successful murder attempt. Only later is it learned that the unassuming little middle-class home was the location of a psychopathic. Under these conditions, the house of death becomes a symbol of the madness and psychopathic insanity that exists right next door without being aware of it.
The Sailor Suit
When Walter returns to talk with Phyllis the second time when she’s made sure they will be all alone, his salesman radar is already on guard against her and all she’s done so far is offer some tea. Even though he makes it clear that he knows the implications of staying for tea, there is hesitancy enough to consider all options. And then he says a funny thing: “The white sailor suit did it.” The words are ambiguously out of context, but the meaning is clear. The sailor suit is the symbol of Walter’s rejection of morality; from that point on he’s in all the way.
Shark
The shark following the boat is more than just a symbol, of course; it is situated as the agency of self-destruction for Walter and Phyllis. They jump overboard and allow nature to handle the details. Giving themselves over as food to the shark is symbolic retribution. Just as they are both sharks who feed on the flesh of her husband, so they become food. A cycle of life kind of thing.
Nino’s Dissertation
The title of Nino’s dissertation is “The Problem of Colloids in the Reduction of Low Grade Gold Ores.” One needs to study the complex science at work here to get the meaning of this symbolically. A colloid is essentially a mixture of a solid, a gas, and a liquid in any combination such as marshmallows, whipped cream, or butter. The symbolic key is that the molecular mixture does not disperse of its own accord. So consider Walter and Phyllis a colloid with the overarching symbolic significance being applied to their inability to separate from each other naturally.
Alternatively, a colloid is often a homogeneous mixture - one that appears like a pure solution but is made of many small differing particles. Phyllis' murderous inclinations make her different from other sane people, yet she is able to blend in without being noticed unless under a microscope. Additionally, the reduction of gold ores is a metaphor for gaining wealth through either money or property. Phyllis is the colloid that prevents those who are entitled wealth from gaining it.
Chalk-Faced Phyllis
Lola tells Walter about a time she found Phyllis alone in her bedroom standing in front of a mirror holding a dagger with her face painted a chalky white, her lipstick blood red, and a red silk shroud over her head while brandishing a dagger. Before they leap into the water to become food for sharks, Phyllis dresses and makes herself up in an identical manner. Earlier, Phyllis admits to a chilling obsession with death in which she personifies herself as its beautiful incarnation, Death with a capital “D.” Chalk-faced Phyllis becomes the literal manifestation of that symbolic obsession.
