Essay About Symbolism in Gutter Child

📌Category: Books
📌Words: 817
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 26 June 2022

The most captivating stories often employ memorable symbols to produce a compelling message. Jael Richardson uses symbolism in her novel Gutter Child to communicate the effects that oppression and systematic racism have on an individual level, specifically, those which the protagonist Elimina experiences. The scars that the Sossi people bear within the novel play an active role in representing the dehumanization of the tribe and the individuality that Elimina possesses. In addition, the red coat Elimina inherits is a symbol of superiority, whose job is to devalue the opinions of those held by the students of Livingstone Academy. Thus, Richardson uses the scar and the red coat as symbols to present the idea that oppression and systemic racism lead to one's constant misfortune and lack of progression.

Throughout the novel, the scar reminds the reader of the constant dehumanization and humiliation that the Sossi people endure in their lifetime. When Elimina prepares for her journey as a student at Livingstone Academy, she remarks, "She [Ms. Femia] takes my hands in hers, rubbing my scar with her thumb–the hideous X on the back of my right hand that's ugly and raw" (Richardson 3). In the real world, oppressive organizations, such as Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, typically use markings to discriminate and degrade those they find undesirable. In the world of Gutter Child, the Mainlanders use the scar of the Sossi people to separate them into a class of undesirables. Individuals are eternally bound to a generational debt the state knows they will never pay off. To Elimina, it is a disgusting mark of prejudice that bears her arm; it is a mark of degradation of one's individuality, thereby halting all progress of her personal development. Furthermore, the scar symbolizes contempt towards the Gutter people in the society of the Mainlanders. When Elimina discusses her life on the Mainland with Ida, she recalls when her mother enrolls her in school, "Despite approvals Mother received to enroll me in Capedown Elementary. On my first day, crowds gathered and yelled for me to stay out, to go back home. They [Mainlanders] carried posters on wooden sticks with pictures of my face covered in a big red X" (32). The scar not only serves as a representation of the Gutter people but also purposes itself as a symbol of hatred towards their identity. The red X painted over Elimina's face symbolizes the Mainlanders' unwelcomeness and distrust towards her attendance at the Capedown school. The painted poster has a noticeable resemblance to the scar of the Sossi people, further signifying that the mark has a negative connotation amongst the Mainlanders. The scar symbolizes dehumanization, whose goal is to ultimately degrade the Gutter people into a symbol that lacks the fundamental component of man, diversity.

Richardson not only utilizes symbolism to represent the degradation of the Sossi people but further incorporates symbols into her ideas of privilege and superiority. The red coat is worn by those who seek absolute control over others. When Mr. Gregors discusses with Elimina the responsibilities of a Red Coat, he states, "But I tell you, he [Louis] is the best red coat I have ever had. You will learn a lot from him"; Elimina later asks, "Will I have to send people to the leashes?" (37). When Elimina questions Mr. Gregors about the leashes, she references a punishment that Louis uses to threaten his peers. Louis, as an individual,

wishes to manipulate all aspects of his peers' life. On Elimina, it leaves an impression of disgust that such an oppressive individual, such as Louis, would administer his schoolmates in such an Orwellian way. The red coat acts as an award for those who solely wish for superiority over others. Moreover, when Elimina has her red coat taken away due to Josephine's actions, she notices a slight shift in the attitude of her peers towards her. When Elimina discusses how her peers treat her without her red coat, she states, "The students at Livingstone Academy treat me differently without my red coat. Some return to taunts with cruel notes–payback for all the time spent being the campus Red Coat. Others smile and nod their support, convinced that I somehow helped Josephine and that I'm a hero of sorts" (135). Elimina, as a Red Coat, was a very unrespectable individual to many students of the Livingstone Academy. To them, wearing the red coat signifies a willingness to cheat, report, and betray their classmates. When Mr. Gregors takes away her privilege, her peers no longer see her as a threat to their safety. The red coat establishes the idea of superiority and privilege in students' minds, preventing them from developing any resistance toward the Mainland population as a result of their extreme fear of retribution.

By using symbolism, Richardson reinforces the idea that oppression and systematic racism leads to one's constant misfortune and lack of progression within society. The red coat portrays the fear of resistance due to perceived superiority from the holders of the red coats. The scar portrays how the dehumanization of a people by oppressive means creates a loss of diversity and individuality. Oppression is the antonym of idealism; it is essential to recognize the importance of symbols as a tool to further our understanding of society and its various positive and negative attributes. By acknowledging oppression, we recognize the human consciousness.

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