Part 1, Chapter 1

Ansell presents the urgent medical situation of <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Character" href="https://www.supersummary.com/the-death-gap/key-figures/#652411">Windora Bradley</a>, his long-term patient. Windora, an African American woman living in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Chicago, suffered a stroke during a consultation at the hospital where Ansell was working. He rushed to the consultation room where she was, trying to save her and minimize the impact of the stroke. The scene underscores the theme of the book: The lethal impact of inequality on health. Ansell reflects on Windora’s health history, noting that her deteriorating health is a direct result of her socioeconomic status, race, and residential location. Ansell argues these factors have set Windora on a path of “American roulette.” This is an <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/allusion/">allusion</a> to Russian roulette, a game of chance played with a revolver containing one bullet, where the player spins the cylinder and places the muzzle against their head before shooting. Ansell describes the American roulette as a rigged game where the poor and marginalized are predisposed to early death by an unfair system. The <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/metaphor/">metaphor</a> of the American roulette stands for the American healthcare system, which is both potentially deadly and rigged to the disadvantage of poor and racialized citizens.

Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary: “American Roulette”

Part 1, Chapter 2

Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “Structural Violence and the Death Gap”

Part 1, Chapter 3

Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary: “Location, Location, Location”

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Part 1, Chapters 1-3 Analysis

Government & Business

Business & Economics

Society

Community

Social Issues

Contemporary Books on Social Justice

Values & Ideas

Equality

Health & Wellness

Health & Medicine

Politics & Government

Poverty & Homelessness

Social Sciences

Sociology

David A. Ansell

Adult

Book

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore The Death Gap and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

The Death Gap Summary and Study Guide

Background

The Death Gap Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Foreword-Preface

The Death Gap Foreword-Preface Summary & Analysis

Part 1: “American Roulette”

The Death Gap Part 1, Chapters 1-3 Summary & Analysis

Part 1, Chapters 4-5

The Death Gap Part 1, Chapters 4-5 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “Trapped by Inequity”

Part 2, Chapters 6-8

The Death Gap Part 2, Chapters 6-8 Summary & Analysis

Part 3: “Health Care Inequality”

Part 3, Chapters 9-10

The Death Gap Part 3, Chapters 9-10 Summary & Analysis

Part 4: “The Cure”

Part 4-Afterword

The Death Gap Part 4-Afterword Summary & Analysis

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Key Figures

The Death Gap Key Figures

theme

Themes

The Death Gap Themes

Index of Terms

The Death Gap Index of Terms

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citation

character

Important Quotes

The Death Gap Important Quotes with Page Numbers

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Essay Topics

The Death Gap Essay Topics

The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills

Part 1, Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “American Roulette”

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