The Image of the black woman
The image of the black woman has been used symbolically in this story to mean unwanted human in a particular environment. For instance, the writer notes:
"Scholars of early modern England have noted the discursive place of black women: Peter Erickson calls the image of the black woman a trope for disruptive harmony"
Notably, most Modern English writers painted a black woman as someone disruptive to both harmony and patriarchy in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the black woman has been symbolically mentioned to mean unwanted black people.
Monstrous Body of Black Women
The author quotes Richard Ligon who wrote:
"Hang down below their navels, therefore when they stoop at their common work of weeding, they hang almost to the ground, that at a distance you would think they had six legs"
The monstrous body of the black woman is used symbolically to mean that black women are very productive in both in the farms and producing more laborers through giving birth.
The Motif 'Nipple'
The female body (breast's nipple) is symbolically used by Columbus to demonstrate the shape of the earth. He uses the language of sexual conquest to describe his voyage to African countries. Largely, he is referring to the shapelessness of an African woman who he considers a wild woman whose breasts are sagging to the ground. The author makes this reference to help the writer understand the extent to which gender is used by the Europeans to gain white supremacy and more importantly make black women believe that they are good in laboring and reproducing more slaves for him.
The allegory of clothes
To symbolize civility, the author uses the 'clothing' of the black woman. Throughout the story, the black and indigenous woman is viewed as disrespectful because of walking naked in front of men. Walking naked is also a demonstration that Africans have a moral disorder that distances from civility. By returning the black woman to his people with clothes, it is a sign of generosity by the Spanish and more importantly a demonstration of civility. The writer notes:
"This woman figured as a pliable emissary who could be returned to her people as a sign of Spanish generosity (in form of food and wine) and civility (in the form of clothes)."
The Motif of wretched creatures
The 'wretched creatures' is symbolically used to refer to weak indigenous women who walk naked. The term 'wretched' means that they are unproductive and weak. Despite being tired, these helpless mothers are tied with iron chains. The motif 'wretched creatures' shows the inhumane treatment of black women as slaves.
"It was a most distressing thing to see the way in which these wretched creatures naked, tired, and lame were treated [by the Spaniards]; exhausted with hunger, sick, and despairing."
