“When will she stop bawling in the otherworld about the little devil who slash and burn through her koo and kill her.”

Sogolon’s brothers blame her for the death of their mother, who died in childbirth. Immediately, James establishes the narrative’s tone of myth and superstition by referring to his protagonist as a devil and the fact that her brothers claim to hear their mother crying from beyond the grave. Their mother’s death becomes the catalyst for their abusive treatment of their sister, keeping her confined to a termite pit and forcing her to plow the fields. Much of the narrative is built on the way men find excuses to oppress women, and this is just the first of many instances of sexist oppression Sogolon will face in her life.

“And the city change at night. Now it look like the back of an animal, black with shadow and spikes.”

From the window of Mistress Komwono’s house, Sogolon sees, for the first time, the city of Kongor at night. The animal metaphor is significant as it foreshadows Sogolon’s relationship with Keme, as well as the mysterious and frightening Sangomin. Cities at night are also very different from cities during the day, and the sight of Kongor is alluring, allowing the girl with no identity to venture out into the darkness and hide from the outside world.