The Illegal

“But for those who are truly poor, running symbolizes privilege.”

Yoyo teaches Keita that although they are not wealthy, they are better off than many. If Keita has enough food and shoes to run in, then he has more privilege than those who lack such things. As running takes on symbolic weight, it becomes clear that Yoyo is also commenting on the fact that some people lack even the relative “privilege” of a means of escaping dire circumstances.

“Then go see the world, my darling girl. Bet every day on your own abilities, and you’ll be able to do anything you want.”

Charity expresses her desire to be more than just a wife, and her mother supports her. Both Charity and Lena are strong female characters, and Charity does in fact end up becoming a journalist—a symbolically significant choice in a novel that celebrates The Power of Marginalized Voices.

“Only in song could they hug each other fiercely and let their grief flow.”

Music is very important to Keita, especially when his mother dies. He and his family cannot seem to grieve her death until they access their emotions through song. This motif of singing is one of the ways the novel develops its ideas about the importance of speech to those who are voiceless.

“Cleaning was more than a chore; it was a chance to show his father how much he loved him.”

Keita is a devoted son, and this quote shows how deeply he loves his father. For Keita, service is an act of love. He remains by his father’s side in service until Yoyo dies.

“A mosquito buzzed around Hamm’s head, and his right hand shot up near his ear. He squished the insect between his thumb and forefinger.”

Hamm’s personality matches his physique: He is large, overbearing, and can squash anything he comes in contact with. His temper flares easily and recklessly. Keita will become like an annoying mosquito that Hamm feels he must squash.

“I don’t know what you’re running from, brother, but be careful of what you are running to.”

Keita flees Zantoroland only to find that he is in just as much danger in Freedom State. He must be careful of where he goes and what he does, always on the run—literally and figuratively—from danger behind him and up ahead.

“In case you haven’t noticed, our country is going down the drain. We’re supposed to be a wealthy nation. […] It costs thousands of dollars to detain, clothe, and feed an Illegal for a year. Take ’em out of prisons and send ’em back to where they came from, and bulldoze AfricTown while you’re at it.”

This quote represents the thinking of racists in Freedom State. Their argument to “send ’em back” is illogical, as many of the people they are referencing were born in Freedom State. These words are also ironic because Freedom State is repeatedly called one of the wealthiest nations in the world, so they needn’t be concerned about the cost of detaining an “Illegal.”

“Everybody knew that the prime minister and his advisers ran and controlled immigration policies and practices.”

This is an example of the corruption in the Freedom State government, which the population knows about but ignores. The prime minister’s hatred of Black immigrants becomes ironic (and hypocritical) in retrospect when he is revealed to be multiracial himself.

“We brought thousands of people from Zantoroland in chains, enslaved them here in Freedom State and used them to build what is now one of the world’s biggest economies.”

Slavery is responsible for Freedom State’s economic success, yet the country is loath to share that success with descendants of enslaved individuals. The novel’s exploration of Race, Privilege, and Power thus underscores the importance of recognizing that the history of slavery and racism did not end with abolition.

“‘I own you for life, child’ was how Lula put it. She acted like she meant it too.”

Lula is a contradictory character. She is extremely helpful to John and yet she claims to own him—a claim that associates her with enslavers. Her demeanor makes it difficult to gauge her intentions, which highlights her role as an antihero.

“John had mixed feelings about AfricTown. So far it had allowed him to live undisturbed and not become a ward of the state during his mother’s illnesses.”

John lives a neglected life in AfricTown because his mother is in a psychiatric hospital. While he recognizes that his country is neglecting him and other AfricTown inhabitants, he enjoys flying under the radar and living independently. Nevertheless, he recognizes the need to expose the living conditions in AfricTown, which is in part what motivates his documentary.

“John had read that if you were mixed but wanted to be black you had to fight extra hard to establish your identity. You had to out-black the blacks.”

John’s mother is white and his father is not in his life. He struggles to find and assert his own identity without a family around him. He wants to prove to his community that he is Black and worthy of their acceptance, so he decides to make a documentary about AfricTown to prove himself.

“AfricTown told you all you need to know about Freedom State.”

This references race relations in Freedom State and its reliance on subjugated people for its economic success. Just like the enslavers before him, the prime minister lines his pockets with money from selling “Illegals.” Freedom State purports to be a civilized, modern nation, but AfricTown proves its corrupt foundations.

“People in his country didn’t run for recreation. You ran to win, or you didn’t run at all.”

Keita remarks on Rocco Calder’s age, noting that there aren’t any middle-aged runners in Zantoroland, as their age would mean they weren’t competitive. Only someone with ample privilege can spend time running for fun. Keita runs only to win because that is his only chance to earn money.

“If the country’s leaders were going to talk about blacks that way, it only stood to reason that the insanity would trickle down to the population […] it gave Freedom Statonians license to hate refugees.”

Some characters, like Calder, spout racist verbiage without a thought. This quote suggests that the words of those in power can shape the beliefs of an entire people. When leaders embrace hatred of a group, populations feel entitled to hate openly as well. The reference to beliefs “trickling down” also obliquely satirizes the notion of “trickle-down economics,” suggesting that what actually disperses throughout the population is not wealth but prejudice. 

“Thinking could be detrimental to purpose. Sometimes it was better just to carry on.”

Keita adopts this survival stance to avoid falling into despair over the loss of his family. Similarly, he cannot stop running even though he is in pain from his umbilical hernia and experiencing symptoms of diabetes. This kind of endurance is the key to his survival and thus expands on the symbolic significance of his running.

“At all times, he had to be prepared to run.”

Here again, Hill plays on the double meaning of “run.” In Zantoroland and in Freedom State, Keita is on the run from those who wish him harm. He must always be ready to run for his life, just as he must always be well-trained to win the races that protect him.

“Some people had keys to this world, but Keita was not one of them.”

Keita is always at a disadvantage in Freedom State, no matter his good deeds or successes. He recognizes that in Freedom State, one is either born into freedom and privilege or denied both.

“I would like to hold people accountable. I reckon people have a lot of accounting to do for the things they done, to me and others.”

This is another example of the novel’s wordplay. Darlene dreams of becoming an accountant not only to have some control over money but also because she likes the thought of holding people “accountable” for the wrongs they have committed against her. 

“With clean water, roofs over their heads and every imaginable device to make their lives easier, why would white people in rich countries want to kill themselves?”

Keita sees that Ivernia is reading a book about suicide, and he can’t understand why a woman with so much wealth would consider it. What he doesn’t realize is that she lacks what Keita’s parents had in Zantoroland: devoted children and a supportive community. Ivernia’s community makes her feel invisible and inferior, and her own son treats her terribly.

“Rocco said it looked like someone was sending cash to Zantoroland officials on two levels: two thousand dollars for each ‘Illegal Returned Before Landing’ and ten thousand for ‘Information Leading to Deportation’ of each Zantorolander dissident hiding in Freedom State.”

Rocco Calder decodes the memo that Yvette found in the prime minister’s briefcase. This is the clearest explanation of the scandalous deal between Zantoroland and Freedom State.

“According to the memo, Rocco said, Lula was in on the action too. She was also getting paid for information about Illegals hiding in Freedom State.”

Until this point in the text, it is not clear how involved Lula is with this corruption. The memo reveals that Lula was double-crossing the very people who came to AfricTown to hide, thinking she was their protector.

“Everybody goes to the Amnesty International website to find out about people getting killed in Zantoroland.”

This is an example of the controlling dictatorship in Zantoroland. The citizens can’t get information about their own people from their own country—a fact that highlights the importance of a free press—so they rely on Amnesty International for honest news. This is how everybody seems to know about Yvette Peters when Viola arrives to do research.