As human beings, we crave certainty and stability in our lives. When that certainty is called into question, it can be deeply unsettling and challenge our very sense of reality. This is the central conflict at the heart of Rog Phillips' short story "The Yellow Pill," in which two men, Gerald Bocek and Dr. Cedric Elton, engage in a battle of perspectives over the true nature of their environment. While Bocek firmly believes they are on a spaceship, Elton is equally convinced they are in his psychiatric office on Earth. Ultimately, the evidence suggests that the story takes place on Earth, as Elton's repeated insistence on the tangible realities around him eventually breaks through Bocek's delusional worldview. A key piece of evidence supporting the Earth setting is Elton's detailed description of the physical objects in his office. When Bocek asks him to describe his surroundings, Elton meticulously outlines the features of his desk, phone, and other furnishings, even correctly identifying the phone number written on the telephone as "Cedar seven-four three nine nine" (Phillips). This level of specificity and Elton's ability to accurately perceive these concrete details points to a grounded, earthly reality rather than the imagined environment of a spaceship that Bocek insists upon. …show more content…
As he explains to Bocek, the yellow pills "almost triple the strength of nerve currents from end organs" in order to "shout down any fantasy insertions" (Phillips). This medical knowledge and the existence of such a treatment aligns with the premise of Elton being a psychiatrist rather than a spaceship