Racism
The unequal treatment of Covid-19 patients symbolizes racism during the pandemic. The narrator's father suffers from Covid-19, but he has not secured a hospital bed because he is black. The black people suffering from the virus are not given priority in hospitals during admissions. The reader finds it paradoxical that blacks are treated badly and denied an essential service during the pandemic. Therefore, the institutions have been radicalized to assume that black people are lesser beings.
George Floyd
George Floyd’s killing symbolizes police brutality. When the police arrest George Floyd, he surrenders, but they mishandle him. George pleads with the police to stop maltreatment, but they persist. Finally, George Floyd dies at the hands of the police. Consequently, the police mistreat black people during arrests and do not care about their emotional sufferings. After the death of Floyd, protests erupt throughout the USA and globally.
The Narrator
The narrator epitomizes children's trauma while growing up in a racist environment. The narrator is a young African American boy who sees protests all over on TV, and he wonders what is happening. The narrator is saddened when he learns that the protests are against the mistreatment of blacks. The narrator is also surprised why his sick father is not admitted. The harsh reality is that the boy's father is black, and he is not given priority in hospital admission.
Collage Visuals
The college visuals symbolize struggles, oppression, and hope for a bright future. Initially, the college visual arts are painted in black coloration to represent the coercion and struggles of black people. There is the systematic mistreatment of blacks throughout the USA. During the pandemic, African Americans are not given priority in hospital admissions. Towards the end, the reader realizes that the color of the visual arts changes from dull to bright to symbolize hope and a productive future for black people.
