Nella's hair
Nella's hair, as well as the hair of other Black women, is perhaps the most important symbol in the novel. It represents identity, cultural heritage, and societal pressures that many Black people have to conform to in their lives.
The anonymous notes Nella receives
The notes that Nella receives that urge her to leave Wagner are symbols of the hidden threats and challenges many Black professionals face because of ingrained racism in the working world.
Wagner
Wagner, the publishing company that Nella works for, is symbolic of white power. Wagner is run predominately by white people. They use the publishing company to control literature and narratives surrounding race and popular culture.
Hazel
Hazel's ability to quickly integrate herself within Wagner and win over white colleagues is vastly different than Nella's, who struggles to ingratiate herself with her colleagues, many of whom don't particularly like Nella. Unlike Nella, Hazel is also able to navigate the complexities of office politics. Hazel is symbolic of the way that many Black people are forced to change themselves and how they behave in order to assimilate into a white-dominated space.
