Imperium in Imperio

Content Warning: This text contains racist language, including racial expletives, and violence, as well as depictions of oppression, enslavement, and death by suicide. This study guide quotes and obscures the author’s use of the n-word.

One motif of the text is the dangerous yet humorous situations that Belton gets into through his own choices, which are exacerbated by the institutionalized racism and injustice of the time. Two such examples—Belton getting caught in the chicken coop spying on the teachers and the dirty sock in his pocket at graduation—are brought about by actions that Belton takes, which could be considered foolish, giving them ironic humor, but which serve to explore themes and teach lessons to Belton, ultimately developing his character into a tragic hero.

In the first incident, Belton discovers that there is a Black teacher who is vice president, holding some power over the other teachers. In order to listen in on their meeting and see this for himself, he sneaks up to the window to watch. The incident is described in a humorous way, with the woman throwing “up her hands and scream[ing] loudly from fright,” and Belton turning to flee and “unthinkingly jump[ing] into the chicken house” (20).