White Privilege

Although a gripping mystery about the death of a young girl, that death, and the circumstances on both the tropical island where it happened and in New York City where Claire lives and works years later, is informed with elements of racism, specifically the logic (and burden) of white privilege. Alison, in her diary, voices such concerns even at the age of 16. “I feel like there’s a really slippery slope between being glad you have something and thinking you deserve it” (116). The Thomases, particularly the father, are painfully aware of their status at Indigo Bay, wealthy whites lounging poolside waiting for the hotel’s wait staff, all black, all working class, none educated, to fetch them their slushy tropical cocktails despite the staff’s barely concealed disgust, even rage over this kind of glorious servitude. The father struggles to engage the servers in what...