The Ruby Choker
In "The Bloody Chamber", the Marquis gives his new wife a choker of rubies as a wedding gift. She describes it as a "precious slit throat", that shines as "bright as arterial blood." The ruby choker represents the narrator's subjugation to the Marquis, and can be read as a wider symbol of marriage as an oppressive sysyem. The choker also represents the narrator's corruption by greed and wealth, which can be seen with the choker's connection to the French Revolution.
Lilies
Lilies are also a recurring motif in "The Bloody Chamber". Due to their white colour, lilies often represent purity. This might represent the narrator's innocence and virginity. There is a contrast created between the white of the lilies and the black matrimonial bed, representing the Marquis' corruption. They also symbolize death, and are a common funeral flower. This is evoked when the Marquis fills the "bedroom with lilies until it looked like an embalming parlour.'
Wolves
Wolves are present in many of Carter's stories, including "The Company of Wolves" and "The Werewolf". In these stories, wolves are threatening figures, and represent sexual predators. Although threatening, the wolves are often presented as being weak in some way. For example, in "The Werewolf", the wolf flees when the girl cuts off his paw, showing a sign of weakness.
Bloody Chambers
This symbol is most obviously apparent in "The Bloody Chamber", however many of Carter's other texts also have some kind of bloody chamber. This is a space in which violence occurs, and usually a space of transgressive or forbidden knowledge. As such, female characters entering these spaces are transgressing certain boundaries. In 'The Tiger's Bride' the Beast's room acts as a kind of bloody chamber, and the Grandmother's house also represents a bloody chamber in 'The Company of Wolves' and The Werewolf.
The Color Red
The color red is present in the vast majority of Carter's stories. It represents violence, as it is often associated with blood. The color red also represents corruption and sexuality, and is often contrasted with the color white to represent the corruption of purity.
