Jamaican imagery
The concrete imagery of Jamaica defines the experience of this book. The verdant island nation provides an easy way to imagine how unique and vibrant life is in Jamaica. The story is also set during a particular time in Jamaican history, as the socio-economic scales were sliding past important tipping points as a long history of exploitation and injustice finally results in poverty levels that lead Jamaica to slide toward chaos. The beautiful island imagery is a powerful backdrop for contrasting nature with the human element.
Music and art
Art and music is quickly introduced into the book in a major way. Bob Marley is the central figure in this book's plot, because of the important connection between his music, which is certainly among the most famous music on the earth, and the particular political environment of Jamaica. Instead of treating music as entertainment, Bob Marley focuses on the power of music to be a force for change and for social good. As the reader learns about the way his art influenced Jamaican history, they will begin to appreciate through imagery what Marley was able to make of his art—far more than entertainment to be sure.
Religion and sociology
Another source of imagery arises as the Jamaican people begin celebrating Bob Marley's influence in their culture. They begin to treat him as a religious prophet, and in fact, he is still considered a true religious prophet by many Rastafarian theologians in Jamaica and abroad. The celebration of his art as religious prophecy ends up being a highly volatile element in the book, and the reader sees that in time, the musician's highly political influence is an attractor for criticism and even plots against his life. He survives serious plots on his life by political gangs in the corrupted Jamaican government.
Instability and violence
Of course, the book is riddled with instability as it records a real situation in Jamaican history. The instability of the government can be seen within the imagery of Bob Marley's treatment as an artistic influence, because the people are desperate to feel their opinions voiced. Marley begins to be a voice for the people, but of course, the pluralism of Jamaican politics is threatened by that unanimous voice, and those who despise his influence begin taking lives, including attempts on his own life. The nation's instability is also responsible for the involvement of the United States FBI, because America historically chooses to keep a finger on the pulse of nearby nations whose political environment is becoming unstable.
