The Bitter Side of Sweet

Sullivan uses the first two chapters to provide background information about Amadou and Seydou’s situation as slaves on a cacao farm. She points out Amadou’s daily practice of “count[ing] the things that matter” (1) as a tool to describe Amadou and Seydou’s life on the farm. The things that matter include the amount of cacao pods they harvest and how many minutes remain in the workday. Amadou counts instead of thinking because thinking slows him down. Sullivan describes the process of harvesting the pods in detail to educate the reader. She uses repetition at the beginning and end of Chapter 1 to show the process of the work as well as its monotony. Sullivan’s depiction of life on the plantation through Amadou’s counting and descriptions of the harvesting process show the way the boys adapted to their enslavement, lost hope for escape, and focus only on surviving each day without a beating.

Sullivan also provides foundational characterization details in these chapters for the novel’s protagonist. Amadou, although only 15, must think and act like an adult to survive and keep his younger brother safe. He has grown up too fast and feels the pressure of meeting the quota of cacao pods as an adult worker would. Sullivan also shows how Amadou’s character has been affected by his time at the farm. He has become hardened in many ways, shown in his lack of pity for Khadija and lack of interest in forming relationships with the other boys at the farm. In Amadou’s words, “it hurts too much to care” (8). He struggles between hating the bosses and wanting to earn their praise.

For example, he helps Moussa track Khadija when she tries to escape, and his heart “soars” at words of affirmation from Moussa, showing his need for encouragement, even if it’s coming from his captors. Yet despite Amadou’s hardening heart, he retains a sense of kindness and humanity that seems to war against his survivalist mentality. He notes that Yussuf, a fellow worker, is kind and trustworthy. Amadou devotes all of his energy to protecting Seydou and sacrificially takes the blame for Seydou’s mistake. Even though his life at the farm has hardened him, Sullivan shows that Amadou has retained his humanity. Khadija’s arrival brings out this internal struggle in Amadou and shows his capacity for both hate and hope.

Sullivan’s characterization of Khadija highlights the differences between her and Amadou. First, she is a girl, whereas everyone else at the farm is male. Next, she is alone; she did not arrive with any other children, something that has never happened before. Finally, she constantly fights against her captors and takes every opportunity to escape. In contrast, the rest of the boys at the farm, including Amadou, have lost their hope for a successful escape. Amadou can see from her round face that Khadija is well fed and doesn’t look like she came from a village like so many of the other boys. Through her initial characterization of Khadija, Sullivan shows the way Khadija differs from Amadou, establishes a relationship of enmity between them, and creates a mystery regarding Khadija’s background.