Idlephonse is a microcosm of the contradictions of performed identity. He is aware of how he must seem and appear in order to enjoy the benefits of his position, but it is just a façade. In this way, he is trapped (at least temporarily) performing the version of himself that those in power desire of him, in this case Shoba and Mahesh. The President begins building his new, “modern Africa,” in the form of the State’s Domain. The space seeks to emulate the modernity of the Western world and is also built on the site of an old European suburb, and is therefore layered with colonial influence and history. The project of the Domain seems to be to present Africa as a modern destination, topic, and idea.