When Life Gives You Mangos

Almost everyone has heard the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” To fit in with the storyline, I am changing it to “When life gives you mangos..” Mariatu Kamara has come a long ways from the start of her story. She has endured through having her village raided by rebels, witnessing murder, having her hands cut off, being raped, watching her baby die, suicide attempts, and more, all at a very young age. Her astonishing ability to hold on and push through eventually pays off, though it is hard to imagine her getting through most of her difficult times without her family and friends. One of the most important influences in a child’s life is their family. They are the main source of light for Mariatu, as they give her nothing but continuous love and support.

In chapter 8, after Mariatu's suicide attempt, she expresses her feelings of hopelessness and is comforted by Abibatu.

"'I have no future,' I said to Abibatu. 'I have no future,' I repeated over and over again.
'Don't talk this way,' Abibatu said firmly, spinning me around to face her. 'You have many things to live for. Your mother. Your father. Your cousins, grandmother, aunties. They all love you, and you love them.'" (page 73)

Before she departs to London, she is given advice by a family member in chapter 14 that she remembers and carries with her.

“Marie broke the silence. ‘Don’t look back, Mariatu. If you look back, you will live your life with regrets and what-could-have-beens. Always look forward.’” (page 141)

“As we continued along the dusty road, I remembered Marie’s words: ‘Always look forward.’” (page 142)

In Chapter 18, Mariatu attends her English as a Second Language graduation ceremony. She proudly accepts her diploma and gives a speech.

“‘Thank you for giving me a home,’ I said, ‘and accepting me as one of yours. You are my sisters. I will always love you for the fun you bring to my life. I wouldn’t be here on this stage, getting my ESL diploma if it weren’t for all of you.’ I thanked my ESL teacher and all the friends I had met in the class too. ‘Canada is a very nice place to live,’ I ended. ‘I’m glad it turned out to be everything I expected, and more.’” (page 185)

Resilience and family are the main themes in The Bite of the Mango. I decided to feature both of them in this blog because I have noticed that, for Mariatu, they work hand-in-hand. Based on the above quotes, you can see that she gains a fair amount of her strength from the support of her loved ones. This is the reason she has been fortunate enough to make it to Canada.

I can also draw a connection between the themes of this book and those of Me Before You, the movie we watched in class. The basic difference is the amount of resiliency within the main characters and the amount of support surrounding them. Not all people have the same qualities or capabilities, which is why it is helpful to have combine your strengths with others’ weaknesses and vice versa. I think this is a part of what we are to learn in this ELA unit.