Kindness
Hickman reveals that Bliss' mother had accused his brother, Robert, of rape. As a result, Robert was lynched, which caused Hickman considerable misery and depression, even leading to his plan to kill the unborn child and his mother. Despite this, when Bliss is born Hickman is ironically filled with love and compassion, deciding to raise the boy as his own.
The Black Car
Bliss has shown disdain and cruelty towards the black community in his role as a racist senator; however, at the end of the novel, we see an image of a group of black men picking up the senator in a large black car, taking him to the afterlife. This image shows that although the black community has been treated terribly by the senator, they ironically do not seek vengeance.
Ignorance
Bliss is named after the term "Ignorance is bliss " by his adoptive father, which emphasizes the child's lack of knowledge about his background, parentage, and origin. Ironically, Bliss later does become ignorant, as he becomes a racist senator.
Betrayal
It is revealed that Bliss was welcomed and accepted by Hickman, who treated him as if he were his own son. However, Bliss ironically turns his back on the kind pastor, ultimately becoming a racist senator and betraying those who were compassionate towards him.
