Here, the early hesitation shows that he is expecting some sort of racism from her parents, and how modern society still thinks based on colour and race. Being the first black man she has dated and is taking home is not sitting well with him. When she hits the deer, the deer symbolises the idea of innocence and vulnerability, as well as the violence that can be inflicted on those who are seen as weak or defenceless. When the police officer arrives at the scene where the deer is hit by Rose, he asks for Chris’s ID even when he is not driving. This shows the prejudice and stereotype that white men have against black men, and that his being black automatically makes him a criminal in the crime scene, even when there is no evidence or indication of his being a criminal.
In the Indian context, caste is more prominent than colour. When a person from a lower caste is seen at a crime scene or in a conflict with a person from a higher caste, the lower caste is discriminated against and neglected in society. They are more prone to severe and dangerous interrogation methods than a person from a higher caste. Many caste-based atrocities—ranging from lynchings to sexual violence—remain underreported or poorly prosecuted, reflecting deep institutional casteism in law enforcement and judiciary.
When Chris reaches the estate, all the servants working there are black, and all seem robotic and unsettling. Later, when Rose’s dad is giving him a tour of the house and talks about the Olympics, he talks about the black guy who shocks the entire world by winning gold. This shows how he thinks black men have a physical advantage over other races and that his father never got over the fact that he could not win it. Later at the dinner table, when Jeremy talks about genetic makeup and his subtle, not-so-subtle remarks about the physical qualities or advantages that black men have, are not surprising to Chris; he expected it and may have experienced it as well. This comes from the historical context where they thought that black people had physical advantages over other races and rationalised that by making them slaves. Even though these claims have no scientific evidence.
In India, underprivileged castes are seen in labour-intensive jobs like construction or sewage cleaning. These roles are often generational and expected. Lower castes are viewed as suited for such work, a notion rooted in India’s caste system. Dalits and Adivasis have been forced into hard, degrading labour under the belief they are naturally fit for it. Although caste discrimination is officially banned, these patterns of oppression continue.
When Missy hypnotises Chris, and she calls the place The Sunken Place, this “sunken place” symbolises, as a metaphor for a marginalised, vulnerable, silenced group, and her thinking that that’s where they belong, at the end of the hierarchy.
The “sunken place” can be the society in the Indian context where the lower caste is marginalised and silenced. The lower caste are civilians of Indian society, but like the sunken place, they are only seen as passengers and are not listened to. In a political context, many political parties use caste to gain votes and create a divide in society. After receiving votes, they neither care for the concerns of the underprivileged nor look into the matter of concern. They use people from lower castes as vote banks. Due to this, many tribal, Dalit traditions, art, language, and folk dances are disappearing and suppressed in the name of fashion, pop culture, and modernisation. The prime example can also be how the government is handling the North-eastern conflict between two Tribal groups.
When he is introduced to the guests, we can see their opinions, prejudices, and stereotypes towards the black community. Many talk about his physique, one about sex, while the other says that “black is in fashion.” To him, black is something that he can buy, a commodity in the market. He is envious that he or his race is not fashionable anymore.
This is a powerful scene because, in India, fair skin is seen as beautiful, clean, attractive, and powerful, and is put on a pedestal. While being dark-skinned is seen as ugly, unattractive, and unclean, it is discriminated against. This sometimes also increases caste discrimination, as many believe that people from the lower caste are dark-skinned and the higher caste is considered to be fairer. When a person from a lower caste is fair-skinned, it often raises a question: “You don’t look like one.” Or consider the people from the north-eastern region, who are subjected to much name-calling and to discrimination because of their skin and physique. In India, they are called “Chinese”, “momo”, etc.
When he meets Jim Huston, we can see that he is envious of Chris’s work and craves to have what he has. But due to his inability to take such photos or create what Chris creates. He wants to be like Chris and look at the world through his eyes. When Chris is being auctioned, we can see that blackness is seen as a commodity that can be bought with money and power.
Comparing this to the Indian society, where power and money undermine the caste and colour you are in. A politician belonging to a lower caste is no longer treated as one because of this power and money. Often, people from the upper class belong to a higher caste, and this automatically establishes a rule that everyone higher in class has the privilege to choose how they are treated, despite their caste or colour.
Later, when he finds out that the Armitages are predators who lure black people to their family, perform coercive brain transplants. Here, the Black exterior and white interior show how Armitages love the physical and the cultural advantages of the black, but want nothing to do with their consciousness, their brain autonomy. The concept where the elite white man’s consciousness is put into the body of a black man shows that black people are exploited by people of position of power. When Jim says he does not care that he is black comes from a place of privilege that he has the power, position, and money to buy what he wants and will not hesitate to take it by force. When Chris escapes from the house by killing Missy, Jeremy, and Dean, he encounters the servants who are, in fact grandparents of Rose. She still tries to manipulate him, and when it does not work, she tries to push him into killing her. At the end, when Rod comes in a police car to rescue Chris, Chris is ready to surrender, and Rose is trying act innocent and play the victim when he is the victim, showing how society thinks he is the criminal in a crime scene involving a white woman.
In parallel to Indian society, where the suppression of marginalised, dalits, adivasi, and tribals is historically done by the dominant caste, who enjoy the labour and bodies without giving them dignity and basic respect. The dominant caste also enjoys the privilege of power and money that buys them connections to suppress and oppress the underprivileged caste.
The concept of the elite’s consciousness and the body of the black, parallel to Indian society, which uses underprivileged castes and classes as pawns in running the society by taking their physical labour, hardworking, and undermining them, and ignoring their needs and neglecting them in the decision-making choices.
The dominant caste and class manipulate the society and benefit out of it by keeping the underprivileged as underprivileged and not letting them rise; they are not in place of choice, like the dominant caste and class, where they can say, “ I don’t care what caste you are, “I don’t care what financial background you come from.” They have the choice, and they create the choice, to be whatever they want and to be treated however they want to be treated.
The surrender of Chris when seeing a police car, in par with the lower caste, who have no hope in the judicial system of India, they are underrepresented, subjected to harsher treatment at the hands of the government officials. The contempt towards the reservations and criminalisation of the underprivileged caste and class. The harassment and custodial violence towards them are prominent; this is the case only because the higher caste or class comes from a position of power that is mostly higher than the judicial system or government officials.
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