“The triangle between the three characters demonstrates the globalization of state violence at the heart of this story. From his interactions with Melissa, Mrs. Shaw, and Rafael, who they visit in prison, Kalumba is exposed to stories of state-sponsored violence that transcend Africa.”
“At various turns, Kalumba is exposed to modern pathologies of American xenophobia and state violence, channeling our contemporary moment, as the country grapples with police violence and a widening paranoia around immigration.”
“What emerges in Mrs. Shaw is the cyclical nature of a postcolonial nation-state returning, over and over again, to its violent origins. Yet Mukoma is just as critical toward revolutionary movements that they themselves cannot escape the pathologies of violence.”