The themes addressed in the novel, including the psychological effects of racism on blacks and whites' refusal to address the issue of race, reinforce the idea that psychological inferiority, just like white and black identity, are creations that perpetuate a society that will benefit one group and work to destroy the other. Without the moral conscience and responsibility of the leaders of American society, the relationship of African Americans with the United States will continue to be spiritually, psychologically and physically unstable.