The Mango Sparknotes

Throughout Mariatu’s story in the book, The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland, there is a constant reappearance of the mango fruit. The title of the book is very important and very relevant to Mariatu’s life. The importance of the title is evident through the one remarkable initiative, the mango. Winner of a Red Maple in 2009, the title “Bite of the Mango” is a very appropriate title for this book. As it is obvious, Mariatu is a victim of survival for which she must endure many horrifying experiences. However, the fruit has a very significant and symbolic role throughout Mariatu’s agonizing childhood. The mango represents checkpoints in Mariatu’s life, one of which begins near the beginning of the book. This “checkpoint”