Symbol for wealth
In the first story, the narrator mentions seeing many men and women coming to the house beside which he stood and being granted access almost immediately. Those people would come in carriages and because of this they were respected. The carriage becomes a symbol in this context and it is used to denote prosperity and wealth.
Symbol for status
Another important symbol in the first story is the wig. In the 18th and 19th century, royalty and other influential people used to wear wigs to cover their thin hair or simply wore them as an ornament. Wigs were often made of human hair and were complex and grand in size. A wig was a symbol used by the rich to prove their status. Slaves and the lower class could never afford one and thus the wig is used here as a symbol for status.
Fall into despair
The common motif in the second story is the idea that having money does not mean that a person is also happy and lives a good life. To transmit this point, the narrator used the examples of two black boxers in the 1950s who despite having a lot of success and thus making a lot of money, they were unable to manage it and thus at the end of their lives ended up with nothing. This is a common motif in the first story and also a motif found in the second story.
Pink Cadillac
One of the most important symbols in the second story is the pink Cadillac described as being driven by Sugar Ray. The car stands out among the other vehicles on the road and its owner is criticized by the media and by the press. The car quickly becomes a symbol, used to transmit here the idea that the boxer was living a lavish life and most possible also a life beyond his means.
Symbol for violence
In the third story, the narrator describes David and talks about the scratches and the bruises on his face. The narrator does not know where the bruises come from but they are clearly described as being visible and always present. The bruises are a symbol, used to make reference to the violence experienced by the black people while leaving in the white societies.
