Laye's culture provides several rites of passage for its children as they grow up. What are those rites of passage? What similar rites belong to your culture?

How does the ceremony of the lions prepare young boys for circumcision?

What role does the black snake play in Laye's father's good fortune?

Laye's mother plays a very authoritarian role in her family and village. How does her role compare with women's roles in general? Compare and contrast.

Compare and contrast Laye's mother with her own mother in Tindican.

Discuss the symbolism of the ocean in Conakry. What does the ocean mean to Laye?

The supernatural plays a large role in everyday life in Kouroussa. Why?