Murder

Murder symbolizes the deep injustice of violence. A primary feature of the novel’s story is the fact that Prakash murdered Radha. This act of unjust violence accentuates the injustice of murder and all other moments of violence featured in the book. For example, Danny reads a news article that strongly implies that immigration officers sometimes murder illegal immigrants.

Deportation

The threat of deportation symbolizes the ways in which xenophobia destabilizes communities and threatens the lives of individuals. In Australia, Danny lives in fear of being arrested and deported, as his life could be in danger in Sri Lanka. Moreover, this threat stops Danny from reporting Prakash, and the novel thusly demonstrates how exclusiveness towards immigrants is also harmful to those doing the excluding.

Immigration

Immigration symbolizes the necessity of personal mobility, and the misfortune that ensues when such mobility is denied. The international scope of...