The Elephant-Like Quilt (Symbol)
Begum Jaan's elephant-like quilt—the object at the center of "The Quilt"—is a symbol for unacknowledged truths. At the beginning of the story, the narrator's winter quilt casts a shadow on the wall; the shapely silhouette resembles the outline of an elephant. The narrator recalls the terrifying experience she had as a young girl when she stayed with Begum Jaan and witnessed the high-ranking Muslim woman pursuing a lesbian relationship with her servant under the secrecy of her quilt. While Begum Jaan has sex with Rabbu in the same room in which the child narrator sleeps, the narrator doesn't know what to make of the strange shapes their two bodies make under the quilt, which the narrator sees as resembling an elephant. The image of an elephant is significant because it evokes the trope of "the elephant in the room"—a metaphorical idiom used to describe the social phenomenon of people collectively ignoring an issue that is as obvious and conspicuous as a large animal standing in the room. Chughtai uses the elephant quilt's symbolism to highlight how everyone within Begum Jaan's household seems to know of Begum Jaan's relationship with Rabbu but never addresses it directly. The household maintains a similar reticence regarding the nawab's sexual activities with young males. This quality of only suggestively acknowledging certain realities that are immoral, hypocritical, or in some way shameful also extends to the narration, made evident in the way the narrator never uses direct language to address the sexuality, homoeroticism, or abusive touch in the story. The symbolism of the quilt resonates beyond the sordid details of the story to speak to the wider societal issue of people in positions of power—such as the nawab and Begum Jaan—using their influence to uphold the double standards by which they live.
Begum Jaan's Itch (Symbol)
Begum Jaan's persistent "itch" is a symbol for her sexual desire. When detailing how Begum Jaan came to hire a full-time masseuse, the narrator discusses the phantom itch Begum Jaan feels and which no doctor or medicine person can heal. After being examined by medical professionals, Begum Jaan learns that there are no superficial blemishes that would show anything is wrong with her, and they suggest that the itch might be due to an infection hidden under the skin. Rabbu, however, insists there is nothing wrong with Begum Jaan, as Rabbu seems to know that the "itch" Begum Jaan feels is a disturbance in her body from lack of sexual release. With Rabbu as her masseuse and semi-secret lover, Begum Jaan has someone to scratch her itch by bringing her to orgasm.
Extreme Heat (Motif)
Throughout the story, Chughtai's narrator makes reference to extremely hot objects and emotions. The motif begins when the narrator compares the impression left by Begum Jaan's quilt to the scar left by a blacksmith's red-hot branding iron. When detailing Begum Jaan's anger at her husband's closeted sexual activities with young men, the narrator says Begum Jaan feels as though she is being dragged over burning hot embers. Similarly, Begum Jaan's free-loading relatives don't provide good company but merely "made her blood boil." Ultimately, Chughtai uses the motif of intense heat to contribute to the story's atmosphere of anxiety and repressed sexual lust.
