Under the Skin Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Under the Skin Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

George Floyd

George Floyd is a symbol of embedded inequality and prejudice. Despite Floyd telling the police that he was suffering from Covid 19 and he could not breathe, they mishandled him, and he was denied adequate medical attention despite having a serious condition. Later, George Floyd died in the hospital before he could not get a ventilator to save his life. Priority was given to white patients because the medical authority argued that they were more vulnerable to Covid 19 than those with black skin like Floyd.

Case studies

Case studies are used as a symbol of truth and reality. No white person wants to believe that black people and minority groups are subjected to systematic racism. However, case studies completed by Villarosa show that racism against black people in health has been rampant since the 1990s. For instance, most black people died of HIV aids than white men in the mid-1990s. Similarly, more black people died of Covid 19 than their white counterparts because of discrimination in healthcare. Therefore, case studies symbolize the truth underlying the systematic racism in the health care system in the United States of America.

Villarosa’s underweight child

Villarosa thought that people who do well economically and access medical attention were guaranteed of giving birth to babies with normal weight. Ironically, despite Villarosa taking all precautions and getting the appropriate medical attention, she gave birth to an underweight child. Consequently, Villarosa concludes that the situation for black mothers is worse because they are often not given priority in healthcare facilities.

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