Poverty through image
Linden Hills is a trap for those who live there, because they are unable to fend off the landlord who nickels and dimes them about everything he can, knowing they don't have the recourses that a middle class citizen might have. The picture of poverty is shown through the poor amenities, and it is also shown more literally, because the characters see the world from their point of view, without resources, without options or escape plans.
Injustice and imagery
The cast of this novel is shown imagery that suggests they are the victims of systemic injustice. For instance, their living situation is dire, but they still pay out the nose to live their, unable to secure a lease in a better part of town. The landlord is a picture of injustice, and in the end when Luther's house is burning down, that is like the universe participating in injustice, to him, because he was already desperate.
Conflict and community
One kind of imagery that is subtle but well-described is the social element of poverty, because people often depend on each other. This leads to conflict, sometimes in a public way. The characters observe their community and scrutinize it, and sometimes they scrutinize each other. The picture of conflict in community also includes the various depictions of emotional and physical abuse that occurs.
Survival and imagery
One of the most powerful kinds of imagery in the novel is the portrait that the novel paints of survival. For Willie, all the imagery of his poetry is survival imagery, and he himself is shown to be a survivor. They survive by being one step ahead of the problems, which is shown in Lester's cynicism, but the stakes of survival are steep, and they are unable to insulate themselves from pain and suffering. The imagery shows that they are not enfranchised.
