The Bite of the Mango

Animals play a significant symbolic role in the early chapters of the book. How do they direct Mariatu’s early actions and prefigure her later choices?

After she loses her hands, Mariatu refuses to let a man feed her a mango because she does not want to be “fed like a baby.” What does this choice reflect about her character and her relationship with disability?

Mariatu’s experiences of sexual violence and mutilation can be seen as stealing her childhood innocence. In what ways does she try to reclaim this or come to terms with her new roles?