In the Heat of the Night

Ball uses heat regularly to heighten the drama of the story. The narrative is already fraught with tension: murder, seduction, systemic racism, and petty local politics. The overly hot environment adds another layer of tension. Every event becomes more uncomfortable because the characters can’t escape the oppressive temperature. In the opening, the city sleeps restlessly due to the heat, creating an ominous tone—Wells is brimming, anxious—the perfect setting for a crime story. The heat rarely wanes, serving as another obstacle the characters must face.

The few moments of respite from the heat coincide with the novel’s themes and messages. Wells is an overtly racist city, but the Endicott family is an exception: They treat Virgil with respect. When Sam visits the Endicott estate in Chapter 6, he notices a drop in temperature: “As the road climbed upward, the air seemed to grow cooler and cleaner” (58). The relief from the heat Sam experiences suggests that the Endicotts and their guests are positive and admirable characters; their progressive attitudes literally cool the atmosphere around them rather than adding unnecessary tension. The heat wanes again at the end of the novel, when Virgil waits for his train.