Rivington Riot

The riot at the Rivington showcase symbolizes both the direct and indirect effects of racial oppression. The most direct effect is violence, as illustrated by the racist gang’s murder of Jimmy Curtis. Then, after the riot, the police attempt to place blame for the incident on Opal, directing blame away from the white aggressors who were actually enacted the violence.

Derringdo Incident

The incident at the Derringdo music festival symbolizes the destructive effects of apathy and complicity regarding racial oppression. After the festival’s security staff unfairly targets a Black female concertgoer, Opal tries to get Nev to stop the show so the problem can be addressed. However, Nev refuses to stop, as he is concerned only with his own career and public image.

Clothes

In this novel, clothes frequently symbolize external changes as reflecting presentation of identity. Most notably, Virgil often designs showy...