The Dream Hotel

The white uniforms the retainees wear are symbols of obedience and cooperation with the state and with the regulations of Safe-X, as well as symbols of sameness and the way imprisonment destroys individuality. Although Sara emphasizes that Safe-X chose the white uniforms to make the retainees look safer and less like prisoners, the uniforms still emphasize the theme of The Personal Harm of the Prison Industrial Complex, since, regardless of the color, it still transforms them into a faceless workforce of free labor without identity, personality, or purpose outside of fulfilling Safe-X’s contracts. How the uniforms are treated emphasizes this theme; while Safe-X has an interest in the appearance of uniformity, they have little interest in the material reality of the uniforms, except as ways to alleviate cost. Many of the women dirty or ruin their uniforms in circumstances out of their control since Safe-X refuses to give them basic privileges like showering or laundry to avoid expenses. This illustrates how the cleanness and sameness of the uniforms are a privilege only given when Safe-X is making money; the appearance of the women does not matter if there is no potential money to be made from it.