Warfare and PTSD
Kenneth experiences a kind of implied imagery that the rest of the novel does not understand or see. As the neighbor's sole veteran, only he knows what happened on the other end of his gun, but the political opinions of his community make them hostile toward him. They do not know he is suffering intense PTSD for exactly the reason they least suspect; as a person just like them, warfare was a permanently damaging and traumatizing imagery experience.
Suburbia and community
The community of Clybourne Park has a positive imagery association—a tight-knit and dependable community of orderly and social people. Yet, that order has a negative side too. When Kenneth's grieving parents decide to leave the park forever, moving on into a new season of mourning, the neighbors come out to remind them that they have an obligation to the community. They cannot leave, say their neighbors, because then black people will join the community and ruin everything. The dark side of the community is absolute racism and the very hostile opinions that brought Kenneth to suicidal shame.
Despair and suicide
The imagery of shame is depicted as opinionated neighbors influencing one's opinion of self. For Kenneth this is extremely confusing because he already knows his point of view. But, the problem for him is that shame is an animal instinct and a normal part of human psychology. He does not have the mental aptitude to sort through these things under the duress of his horrific PTSD, and in the meantime, his love of life is waning anyway. The imagery points the reader to an important realization; that there are modes of human conscious with suicidal urges in them, and Kenneth's death is a portrait of tragedy that could have been avoided if he had just been honest with a person who truly loves him.
Prejudice and hatred
One might say Kenneth's experience of community was warped by projection, because he obviously loves his community dearly. That's why he fought in war, for the people back home whom he loves. But that projection leaves him unable to recognize that not everyone in his community has the best motives in the whole world. The parents see the neighbor's tendencies for harsh prejudice and judgment, but Kenneth took their criticism to heart. This novel shows that imagery to make the thematic point that hatred is dangerous because it can make people feel hopeless if they are struggling with their self esteem.
