Discuss how the symbolism of weapons shifts throughout the text. Identify and analyze at least three different concepts that Mama’s spear and Mama Aza’s elephant-tusk awl might represent, using evidence from the text to support your interpretation.

Discuss the novel’s frequent allusions to the hellish imagery of Dante’s Inferno. How does this motif speak to the novel’s thematic structure?

Discuss the novel’s various representations of resilience and agency. How does Annis display strength and willpower even though she is an enslaved woman?