Zenzele’s College Brochure

The red college prospectus that Zenzele keeps with her symbolizes her inquisitive nature and her willingness to take risks. However, as her mother points out, the college brochure also represents the values of the western world: discrete spheres of knowledge, certifying degrees, and branches of science like anthropology that have for centuries treated Africans as objects of study.

The Third Eye

What Shiri calls the “third eye” is a symbol and marker of empowerment and self-direction. According to the letter writer, the “third eye” is a vision that allows one to laugh at fate and to “ignore the path that she has pointed out for you” (178) in favor of the one you choose. Characters like Tinawo and Zenzele have a third eye.

The “i” in Makon

The “i” in Mukoma Byron’s last name, “Makoni,” becomes a symbol of his Zimbabwean identity. When...