The Dark Child -Manhood

The Dark Child by Camara Laye explores the journey to manhood in the Malinke Culture. Laye writes an autobiography of his life as he looks back into the past of what he has went through. The road to manhood is quite different in the Malinke culture compared to our culture and our acceptance and idea of manhood. Throughout this paper I would like to make a few comparisons and point out key ideas about the differences of manhood within The Dark Child and our own American culture. In the beginning of The Dark Child, Laye reminisces about his childhood and introduces us to his family and his life as well as his culture. He talks about a snake in the first chapter as well which Laye merely used to symbolize as awareness and understanding as well as represent Laye’s future in some way, even though at the time he may not have realized this (Laye). It symbolized what footsteps Laye may follow in, such as his fathers, or if he was going to make his own foot path, which he did. “But nevertheless it is true that if you desire the guiding spirit of our to visit you one day, if you desire to inherit it in your turn, it will be necessary for you to be more and more in my company” said the father in which he meant spending less time at school (Laye). In the world we live in today, and in our own American culture I believe manhood is very similar in such a way that things when we are young represent manhood and following in your fathers footsteps is probably always a consideration or even a brief moment of thought