Doors, Walls, and Locks
Doors, walls, and locks symbolize Dibs’s alienation and lack of acceptance by others. In Dibs’s very first therapy session with Dr. Axline, he expresses how much he doesn’t like locked doors—and gradually, Axline…
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The Nursing Bottle
The toy nursing bottle represents Dibs’s progression from insecurity to confidence. A nursing bottle is quite literally a marker of infancy, as it mimics the experience of breastfeeding and provides babies with nourishment and…
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Wind
Wind symbolizes Dibs’s freedom and confidence. In Dibs’s seventh therapy session with Dr. Axline, he tells a story about how the wind whispers to the trees, and how the trees are jealous of…
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The Church
The church represents Dibs’s self-determination and willingness to pursue the unknown. There is a big church across the street from the Child Guidance Center, where Dibs has his play therapy sessions with Dr. Axline…
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