The symbol of veracity
The veracity of the harsh situations the women in Salpetriere go through is symbolized by the horrendous images showing vulnerable women suffering from spiritual gusto, anorexia, and other unidentified issues. The women shown in the photographs are dispirited, ominous, and disheartened. Therefore, the author uses photographs to show readers the harsh reality women go through in life.
The symbolism of subjugation
In the novel City of Incurable Women, subjugation is represented by mental asylum. In the mental asylum, women and young girls who have been oppressed and sexually abused are welcome to seek refuge. The author shows that these women and young girls have permanent scars, which remind them of their endless suffering.
Neglect
Neglect is symbolized by the doctors' despair to provide a hysteric diagnosis to women in the mental asylum. According to the author, the suffering women in the city are hopeless because doctors have given up on them. Therefore, there is neglect, and these suffering women are left to die.
