Shadows, introduced in the novel’s title, remain an important symbol throughout. They represent the narrator’s internal turmoil, the intense fear and self-hatred he feels about his Blackness. He sees shadows everywhere, associating them with things frightening or painful. When he first meets Araminta, he instantly dislikes her, describing her complexion as “blue-black, the dark of a shadow in a cave” (33). Later, he wonders if she ever loses herself in the darkness and if she has to make sure not to “leave any part of herself behind in the shadows” (158). The reader can see that Araminta is the furthest thing from lost within herself; rather, she’s confident, outspoken, and shows stronger convictions and values than the narrator ever does. Because he feels lost and scared in his own skin, he projects those feelings onto Araminta with the shadow imagery.

In describing the perpetual racism his family endures, the narrator claims that “shadows followed us wherever we went” (46). On rare occasions, he is able to enjoy “shadowless afternoon[s]” with Penny and Nigel, moments when his inner, panicked din quiets and he can feel close to his two favorite people as if there is nothing at all in between them.