The Bitter Side of Sweet

Sullivan uses counting as a motif to show how the “things that matter” (1) to Amadou change along with his circumstances. In Chapter 1, Amadou counts each harvested cacao pod. This number matters because it determines whether he and Seydou will be beaten at the end of the day. Meeting quota each day is Amadou’s singular focus. Sullivan also highlights the things Amadou does not count, such as the number of beatings he has received or how many days have gone by since he lost hope of going home. Sullivan uses Amadou’s practice of counting to show the reader what life on the cacao farm is like. The only things that matter to him are keeping himself and Seydou alive and avoiding a beating from the bosses. This leaves little room for his emotional needs, such as friendship with the other boys or hope for the future.

As the events of the story unfold and Amadou escapes the farm, he counts different things. Some numbers are important for survival, such as the number of seconds it takes for the cacao trucks to move from one place to another, so he can time his jump into the back of the truck correctly.