Tagomi still cannot process what is going on until the racial hierarchy flips on its head—suggesting that in some ways, such hierarchies are the ultimate determinant of a society’s character. There are many meanings, therefore, to Tagomi’s reflection that he has wandered out of “his world.” He has left the world he belongs in, but he has also left the world he rules (to the extent that he is a member of the dominant racial group). Finally, the fact that Tagomi has stumbled into this other world emphasizes the role of chance and coincidence in creating individual and global history.