Apex Hides the Hurt

The novel is an allegory, with the protagonist’s relationship with Apex bandage as the dominant metaphor. The protagonist covers his wounded toe with an Apex that completely disguises the injury. This does nothing to heal the problem, and instead actually makes the toe so susceptible to further damage that it ends up amputated. When the protagonist explains this to his doctor, the doctor confirms that many people are papering over their trauma in a similar way: “‘Apex’ […] There’s a lot of that going around” (200).

The diverse skin colors of the bandages are important, too, because it implies that people have suffered wounds specific to their racial or ethnic background. The protagonist lauds Apex as erasing the “deep psychic wounds of history” (89)—a deeply ironic statement that makes it clear how little these bandages do to solve the problem of racism or the country’s history of slavery. Apex is closer to makeup than medicine—it hides flaws rather than helping heal them.

Whitehead cautions against denial as a means of dealing with psychological wounds. Attempting to bandage over a problem and act as if it does not exist makes the narrator develop a psychosomatic limp. Similarly, his work at the nomenclature consulting firm means mostly covering up flawed products to make them more appealing to consumers. However good he is at masking brands, his talent does little to actually benefit society—this is why even his decision to rename the town Struggle, which would seem to honor its wronged founder, does not resolve his limp or foot pain.