Symbols and Tropes
Newspapers
Extra, Extra: Read All About ItGetting your name in the papers in 1920s Chicago is like getting a million retweets in present day: it's a ticket to 15 minutes of fame. Roxie Hart wants more than 15...
The Ribbons
White FlagBefore the "Cell Block Tango" Mama Morton says, "I ain't never heard of a man gettin' killed when he didn't get just what was coming to him." Does this mean a woman killing a man is innoc...
Roxie's Eye
The Eye Has ItEveryone knows that the musical sequences in Chicago are in Roxie's imagination. But what if the whole movie were in her imagination? No, we're not going to talk about the Illuminati...
Roxie's Diary
Under Lock And KeyRoxie's diary itself isn't a subtle symbol, but it is an example of how good Chicago is at foreshadowing. In one of the very first scenes, Roxie says to Fred:"I've been thinkin' a...
Ventriloquist Scene
Do you think ventriloquists are creepy? So do we. Like, a lot. We're pretty sure the whole lot of them will rise up one day and come to get us all. Apparently Roxie feels this way too, and the cree...