The second part of the headline, “but See No Escape,” of the New York Times article, “Many Flint Residents Are Desperate to Leave, but See No Escape,” creates a metaphor for prison. Flint residents are figuratively behind bars without an escape from the lead-contaminated city. Desperately wanting to move out, those living in Flint, Michigan face serious obstacles because of their inability leave their hometown. It is virtually impossible for Flint residents to sell their homes because no one is willing to purchase a house that has lead contamination and a poor water system. Similarly, banks are unwilling to give out loans for such houses. Thus, the residents are not able to escape—much like a prisoners confined in cells. It is almost as if they are being held captive by government and private “bars.” The significance of this comparison lies in the fact that the government put these residents in such a horrible situation that is detrimental to their health, and private industries make it impossible to leave this lead-contaminated city. This metaphor is significant because when a group of people have their liberty, autonomy, and freedom restricted, a parallel can be drawn to imprisonment, where the same happens. Realistically, the Flint residents can just walk out of the city; however, on a deeper and more reasonable level, their financial situations and familial relations do not permit them to do so. They are confined to an environment that is dangerous for their health and safety, but do not have any other feasible option.
One thought on “… but See No Escape”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
It’s interesting how Flint residents are metaphorically presented as “prisoners” that are unable to escape this prison that they were put into by their own “democratic” government. No matter the effort, they will be shackled to Flint until these problems get resolved. It’s truly unfortunate to read these articles that describe the hazardous conditions these people have to endure while their own municipality refuses to help.