Shadows

In the novel, shadows symbolize an array of concepts, including social invisibility, the threat of being black, and the narrator’s own dread. He describes Araminta’s skin as having the “dark of a shadow in a cave” (33). Later he refers to his emotions as “shadows on the wall of my psyche” (211). Mostly, the shadows symbolize the narrator’s fear and paranoia, resulting from his being a black man in a deeply racist society. Referring to his family, he says that shadows “followed us wherever we went” (46).

Masks and Costumes

Costumes and masks symbolize the illusions of modern society and the desire to conceal one’s true identity. The novel’s opening scene shows the narrator at a company costume party, where he switches from a gladiator costume into that of an African tribal chief. Several scenes involve literal performances, including Nigel’s school play and...