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Amari’s mother is murdered when the Ashanti and the white men raid their village to abduct and enslave people. Amari thinks of Mother often once she’s enslaved in the colonies, as she wishes she’d listened better when Mother talked about herbs or cooking. Amari only begins to make peace with her mother’s death when she realizes that her unborn baby carries Mother’s spirit—and one day, the child can carry Mother’s stories and knowledge forward.
Amari’s Mother Quotes in Copper Sun
The Copper Sun quotes below are all either spoken by Amari’s Mother or refer to Amari’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
Besa said that a band of unusual-looking strangers are coming this way, Mother,” Amari informed her. “He seemed uneasy and went to tell the village elders.”
“We must welcome our guests, then, Amari. We would never judge people simply by how they looked—that would be uncivilized,” her mother told her. “Let us prepare for a celebration.”
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Chapter 6 Quotes
“You know, certain people are chosen to survive. I don’t know why, but you are one of those who must remember the past and tell those yet unborn. You must live.”
“But why?”
“Because your mother would want you to. Because the sun continues to shine. I don’t know, but you must.”
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Chapter 8 Quotes
“Perhaps it is better to die,” Amari told her sharply.
Afi sighed. “If you die, they win. We cannot let that happen.”
“They have already taken everyone I loved,” Amari replied, ashamed to look Afi in the face. “And tonight they take the only thing I have left that is truly mine. Death would be a relief.”
“You will live because you must,” Afi said sternly.
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Chapter 17 Quotes
Amari took a deep breath and grabbed a yam from Teenie’s basket. “My mama,” she began, then tears filled her eyes and she gave up trying to explain. She closed her eyes and sniffed it. She could almost smell her mother’s boiled chicken and yams.
“You know, my mama came from Africa too,” Teenie told her. “She teached me what she knew ‘bout Africa food. Long as you remember, chile, it ain’t never gone.”
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Chapter 42 Quotes
What shall I do? Amari thought helplessly. She willed herself to imagine her mother who would know what to say and how to comfort her. All of her mother’s dreams of growing old and watching her grandchildren play had been brutally dashed into the dust. This child carries the spirit of my mother, Amari realized suddenly, as well as the essence of her father, little Kwasi, the murdered people of her village, and the spirits of all her ancestors.
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She inhaled sharply as she thought of Mrs. Derby, of the infant who had been given no chance to live, and of all the other women, both black and white, who continued to suffer as property of others.
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Amari’s Mother Character Timeline in Copper Sun
The timeline below shows where the character Amari’s Mother appears in Copper Sun. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1. Amari and Besa
...goat and sees the chief elder’s wives pounding cassava fufu for supper. Soon, Amari and Mother will do the same thing for Amari’s father. Other women giggle at Tirza.
(full context)
...of elders. Amari watches him go, feeling nervous herself. When she gets to her home, Mother and Esi are spinning yarn for Father, a master weaver of her tribe’s special kente...
(full context)
Amari shares with Mother that Besa saw odd strangers heading their way, but Mother sternly says it would be...
(full context)
Chapter 2. Strangers and Death
...run, but she feels stuck. She watches an Ashanti and a stranger murder Father as Mother falls and hits her head on a rock. Kwasi races for Amari, telling her to...
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Chapter 6. From Sand to Ship
...power in her. She believes that Amari must remember the past and tell future generations—because Mother would want her to and because the sun keeps shining.
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Chapter 17. Amari and Adjustments
...all the time. When fish arrive, Amari shows Teenie how to make fish stew like Mother made. One day, when yams come in, Amari babbles excitedly and is only able to...
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Chapter 18. Roots and Dirt
...garden. Teenie points out medicinal plants, which makes Amari wish she’d paid more attention when Mother tried to teach her these things. Amari is very quiet after her night with Clay,...
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Chapter 20. Isabelle Derby
...sing. Amari says that the songs fly free in the sky, and she thinks of Mother’s voice.
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Chapter 23. Fiery Pain and Healing Hands
...She dreams of Besa and the hot sun over the rice fields. She dreams of Mother and, oddly, of Mrs. Derby. When it’s dark, Amari wakes up. Mrs. Derby is there,...
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Chapter 33. Deep In the Forest
...beating. Sometimes they’re able to find nuts and berries, but Amari wishes she’d listened to Mother more when she told Amari about how to gather food. Fortunately, Amari listened to Teenie...
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Chapter 34. Lost Hushpuppy
...come upon a cave and decide it’s probably safe to start a fire. Amari mimics Mother’s way of starting a fire, but she realizes she’s never had to start one from...
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...the rabbit on the fire. When they’re full, Amari holds Tidbit close and remembers her mother. Then, she focuses on what’s ahead.
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Chapter 38. The Spanish Soldier
...she remembers her father and misses him. She asks Amari what Amari misses about her mother. Amari says that Mother always had the right answer. Polly nods and says that her...
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Chapter 42. Copper Sun
...memories those of the genuine affection he sometimes exhibited. Amari cries again and thinks of Mother, who would know what to do. She realizes suddenly that this baby carries her mother’s...
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