Fingerprints Symbol Analysis

In the novel, fingerprints symbolize the fear of exposing one’s identity . This symbol is most closely associated with Auntie Sonia, who is an undocumented immigrant and burns off her fingerprints in order to avoid being detained by border control. Harri explains: “Your fingerprints tell them who you are. If you have no fingerprints, you can't be anybody. Then they don't know where you belong so they can't send you back.” Although Auntie Sonia has never harmed anyone, she is treated as a criminal due to strict immigration laws. This compels her to engage in a major act of self-harm and to destroy her own identity simply in order to be able to travel and live in different countries. Fingerprints are also important in the context of Dean and Harri’s mission to apprehend the dead boy’s killer. Dean has learned about the significance of fingerprints in criminal investigations from watching the TV program CSI and decides to imitate the detectives he sees on TV and gather fingerprints himself. As he and Harri are only able to use sellotape to gather the fingerprints, it does not seem likely that they will be able to use these as real evidence. However, when the pair gather Killa’s fingerprints, it makes him extremely flustered and later demands them “back,” which helps convince Harri and Dean that he truly is the murderer.