“The Blue Ribbon”
The blue ribbon on the corpse captivates Bertie Shield. This item informs the title of the story, which makes it ubiquitous throughout Selzer’s short story. Bertie Shields focuses more on the blue ribbon than on the corpse. Figuratively, the blue ribbon is symbolic of sexual drive; the description of the ribbon’s impact on Bertie Shields affirms that it excites him sexually.
The Lump
The Lump in “The Consultation”, which is a symbol of breast cancer, is a dominant symbol that dictates the principal tension that the main characters are facing and significant part of the story’s plot ( as the consultation relates to the lump). Furthermore, the lump dictates the doctors’ and Gloria’s reaction after their one-night romantic encounter. The doctor’s observations are not sufficient to determine the invasiveness of the lump that is why he is emphatic on the indispensability of a microscopic analysis.
