Decoy (Symbol)
Hugo is told by Coach Goulding, his father, that he will be a decoy for O to score the game-winning basket. Hugo's status as a "decoy" symbolizes his feelings of second-rate importance next to O, which is what inspires him to plot to destroy O's life.
Doves (Symbol)
Doves figure prominently throughout the film, with many shots including doves in the background. Doves traditionally symbolize innocence and peace, which in the film is upended by the presence of a hawk, or "predator" like Hugo.
Scarf (Symbol)
O gives Desi his great-grandmother's scarf, which has been in his family for generations. The scarf originally symbolizes O's love for Desi, but it transforms into a symbol of betrayal as O believes that Desi gifts the scarf to Mike even though it is in reality stolen by Emily.
Hawk (Symbol)
The hawk is the school mascot at Palmetto Grove. In the scenes featuring white doves, there is almost always a hawk present as well, either in the form of the bird itself or Hugo. The hawk, a bird of prey, symbolizes predatory behavior and disruption. Hugo is the "hawk" of the film, as he intervenes in O's life and catalyzes his destruction.
Basketball (Symbol)
The film replaces the original setting of Othello with a contemporary American high school. In the original play, Othello and the other male characters are members of the Venetian military. In the film, the male characters are teammate's on the school's basketball team. Basketball thus symbolizes, like the military, a hypermasculine and competitive climate that fosters the insecurities of characters like Hugo and O.
