Question

Throughout the story, amadou "counts the things that matter". what matters to amadou at the start of the book? how does this behavior help amadou feel in control of the situation he and seydou are in?

Answer 1

What matters to Amadou is the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. The boys wanted to make money to help their impoverished family. It helps Amadou to become determined in doing so because the higher they can make, the closer they are to paying off their debt and returning home.