Previous
Tooksie’s Mother
Two teenage boys who lived nearby Mandisa and Mxolisi when Mxolisi was a baby. One day some police officers became upset with them, and chased the boys into their home. Zazi and Mzamo hid in a wardrobe, and the police officers searched the house and prepared to leave. However, as they were almost out the door, Mxolisi, who was still a toddler, innocently pointed out Zazi and Mzamo’s hiding spot. The police shot and killed the two boys on the spot. In response to witnessing their brutal death, Mxolisi stopped speaking for several years, presumably guilty and traumatized.
Zazi and Mzamo Quotes in Mother to Mother
The Mother to Mother quotes below are all either spoken by Zazi and Mzamo or refer to Zazi and Mzamo. 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:
).
Chapter 8 Quotes
“For shoulders so tender, so far from fully formed, great is the weight you bear. You hold yourself and you are held ...” — she paused before saying the word ... “responsible.” She said the word with a sigh, as though she were a judge sending a young person, a first offender, to the gallows. Sending him there because of some terrible and overwhelming evidence she dared disregard only at her own peril.
[…]
“Mama,” she said, her voice once more her own. “You must free this your son.”
I said I didn’t understand.
“You know what I’m talking about. Go home. Think about your child. Children are very sensitive. They know when we hate them.” After a small pause she shook her head. “Perhaps, I use a word too strong ... but, resentment can be worse than hate.”
It was my turn to gasp. My whole being turned to ice. Tears pricked my eyes. I felt my father-in-law’s eyes on me and turned mine his way. His brow was gathered, his eyes wide with unasked questions. But the sangoma wasn’t done.
“But to come back to why you have come to see me,” she broke our locked eyes, “this child has seen great evil in his short little life. He needs all the love and understanding he can get.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Mother to Mother LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Zazi and Mzamo Character Timeline in Mother to Mother
The timeline below shows where the character Zazi and Mzamo appears in Mother to Mother. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...the big house whose yard houses Mandisa’s hokkie. He often plays with the teenage boys, Zazi and Mzamo , who live in the house. One day, Zazi and Mzamo run into the house...
(full context)
After Zazi and Mzamo ’s deaths, Mxolisi is like a “walking zombie,” although he never cries. Mandisa worries for...
(full context)
...to speak again, Mandisa worries about the “terrible guilt” he carries for the deaths of Mzamo and Zazi , whom he has never cried for or asked about. To this day, he will...
(full context)
