Kongo Character Analysis in The Farming of Bones

Kongo is Joël’s father. Kongo is devastated to hear of his son’s murder, but is unable to seek revenge because his son was killed by Señor Pico, a powerful government official. Although Señor Pico refuses to take responsibility for Joël’s passing, Don Ignacio shows slight remorse for the accident, and meets with Kongo to express his condolences. Racial tensions continue to rise in the Dominican Republic, and Kongo eventually claims he is too old to make the journey back to Haiti; in this way, he demonstrates how his sense of belonging has shifted due to his old age and his son’s demise.

Kongo Quotes in The Farming of Bones

The The Farming of Bones quotes below are all either spoken by Kongo or refer to Kongo. 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:

Now Kongo was bathing in the middle of the stream, scrubbing his body with a handful of wet parsley […] We used pesi, perejil, parsley […] for our food, our teas, our baths, to cleanse our insides as well as our outsides of old aches and griefs, to shed a passing year’s dust as a new one dawned, to wash a new infant’s hair for the first time and—along with boiled orange leaves—a corpse’s remains one final time.

Related Characters: Amabelle Désir (speaker), Kongo

Page Number and Citation: 59–60

Explanation and Analysis:

“Are you certain you don’t want to keep this face for yourself?” I asked.

“I’ve made many,” he said, “for all those who, even when I’m gone, will keep my son in mind. If I could, I would carry them all around my neck, I would, like some men wear their amulets […] The elder of your house, Don Ignacio, he’s not asked again to come and see me, no? […] I’m not surprised,” he said, “that my son has already vanished from his thoughts.”

Related Characters: Amabelle Désir (speaker), Kongo (speaker), Joël

Related Symbols: Joël’s Mask

Page Number and Citation: 121–122

Explanation and Analysis:

Kongo Character Timeline in The Farming of Bones

The timeline below shows where the character Kongo appears in The Farming of Bones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...will not pay for a burial. He tells Amabelle he must leave to meet with Kongo, Joël’s father, and Amabelle gives him wood for Joël’s coffin. After he leaves, Amabelle expresses... (full context)

...and his friend Yves helped wash and clean the corpse, and recounts how Joël’s father, Kongo, “wanted to stay alone with the body.” (full context)

Amabelle sees Kongo bathing in the stream, and notes that he is washing himself with wet parsley, which... (full context)

...asks if Amabelle will bring him to see the man, and she mentions his name, Kongo. Don Ignacio asks if this is the father’s real name, and Amabelle admits that only... (full context)

...a mill owner. She observes the tired workers and poor working conditions, and then locates Kongo’s room. She notes that there are fresh clothes laid out on the floor “as though... (full context)

Kongo explains that Sebastien retrieved the clothes that are laid out on the floor, and claims... (full context)

Kongo is surprised by this request. Amabelle explains that Don Ignacio wishes to pay for the... (full context)

After her talk with Kongo, Amabelle goes to Sebastien’s room. She relays the news about Señor Pico’s deceased son, and... (full context)

...have coffee at the house. Amabelle relays the message to the group and Sebastien tells Kongo that the house is “not a place” where they should go. (full context)

...the group ventures into the garden. Juana and Amabelle pass around cups of coffee, and Kongo walks into the parlor to see Señora Valencia and Rosalinda. He raises a finger as... (full context)

Kongo begins to speak of his son’s death. He claims that Joël’s passing taught him about... (full context)

Later that night, Kongo comes to Amabelle’s room and brings her an offering. The gift is a mask; the... (full context)

Kongo explains that he cannot remember whether she was one of the children who hid from... (full context)

Kongo then tells Amabelle he has visited on behalf of Sebastien, who has asked her to... (full context)

Amabelle asks if he would like to keep the death mask for himself, but Kongo says he has made many of them; he hopes that people will “keep [his] son... (full context)

Kongo leaves, and Amabelle travels to Sebastien’s room. On the way Amabelle slips and falls in... (full context)

Amabelle and Sebastien talk about Kongo’s visit, and their future plans; Sebastien claims they must wait to live together. Their conversation... (full context)

Sebastien and Amabelle agree to talk to Kongo before making a decision. They search for him and find him sitting with Yves; Kongo... (full context)

Kongo then recounts how Don Ignacio talked to him about killing other soldiers in the war.... (full context)

Sebastien informs Kongo that after hearing the rumors, they are thinking of leaving the Dominican Republic. Yves wants... (full context)

Amabelle gets through the cane field and arrives at Kongo’s room; he cleans up her wounds, and tells her that Sebastien and Mimi were taken... (full context)

Kongo Character Analysis

Kongo Quotes in The Farming of Bones

Chapter 12 Quotes

Chapter 22 Quotes

Kongo Character Timeline in The Farming of Bones