89 pages 2 hours read

Mariatu Kamara

The Bite of the Mango

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Middle Grade | Published in 2008

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Topics

1.

Animals play a significant symbolic role in the early chapters of the book. How do they direct Mariatu’s early actions and prefigure her later choices?

2.

After she loses her hands, Mariatu refuses to let a man feed her a mango because she does not want to be “fed like a baby.” What does this choice reflect about her character and her relationship with disability?

3.

Mariatu’s experiences of sexual violence and mutilation can be seen as stealing her childhood innocence. In what ways does she try to reclaim this or come to terms with her new roles?