Home of the Brave

Lou’s cow, Gol, is symbolic of the life blood of Kek’s people. Cattle are a critical part of Sudanese culture and livelihood, and Kek is mystified as to why Americans don’t value their cows more than they seem to. Gol also serves as a home away from home for Kek; she is a bridge between past and present, and she is a welcome reminder of the life he left behind.

Working at Lou’s farm represents a safe place for Kek (and eventually Ganwar) to work that is the closest they will come to their former life. The farm is a place where they are not judged and where they can labor in peace. Above all, the farm is symbolic of a means by which both boys can come to terms with their past and accept their new lives in America.

Kek carries around with him a piece of his mother’s dress, made of blue and yellow fabric. Before he was separated from her, he tore off a piece of her dress. Now it symbolizes Kek’s inextinguishable hope that he will someday be reunited with his mother.