Banda’s “wee-wee"

Banda’s “wee-wee,” the word they use for marijuana, represents Dantala and his friend’s desire to escape their current surroundings, which are poor and parentless. Although their options for a physical escape are limited, they recognize that, at the very least, they can numb their experience of the outside world through drugs.

The Kuka Tree

The kuka tree is a symbol of laziness and disenfranchisement. The boys that hang out at the kuka tree have given up on their Quranic schools, if they ever attended one. It also recognizes the ways in which the boys give into social expectations, which for them are low, never rising economically or socially.

Call to Prayer

The Call to Prayer represents both the ritualistic and spiritual aspects of religion. On one hand, the Call to Prayer is an established ritual within Islam. However, to Dantala, it represents...