Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses sexual assault and the desecration of dead bodies.

The handcuffs that Gerald uses to restrain Jessie symbolize the restrictive influence that men have on Jessie throughout her life. The image of Jessie being handcuffed to a bed in a state of undress resonates with the pattern of masculinity that she has seen in her life. Beginning with Tom, Jessie’s father, assaulting her as a child; her brother, Will, goosing her at his birthday party; and then Gerald progressively desiring a greater element of violence in their sexual activities, Jessie has experienced a variety of objectifying and restrictive masculine behaviors that have colored her perception both of men and of herself. Specifically, her state of undress and the fact that she is handcuffed to a bed mark her as a sexual object, and this situation puts her in the most vulnerable possible position. As she fights her way out of the handcuffs, she is likewise fighting her way out from underneath the weight of the patriarchal influence that has smothered her for the majority of her life.

As restraining objects, the handcuffs represent harness Gerald’s desire for control, which extends into the intangible dynamics of his marriage as well.