Roots: The Saga of an American Family Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Kunta's grandfather had followed a family tradition of holy men that dated back many hundreds of rains into Old Mali. (5.6)

The Kinte Clan is devoutly religious, especially after Kunta's grandfather single-handedly saved Juffure from starvation. Because of this, religion isn't just about spirituality and doctrine to Kunta—it's about a connection to the past.

Quote #2

A holy-marked piece of goatskin, sewn into a treasured saphie charm [...] would insure the wearer's constant nearness to Allah. (20.31)

We see "saphies" (small, wearable religious icons) pop up a few times in Roots. First, we see the one that Nyo Boto makes for Kunta, which he affixes a goatskin to here. But he makes a second one after before an escape attempt in America. What do you think the symbolic significance of that might be?

Quote #3

Even more than in the village mosque, he felt here how totally were everyone and everything in the hands of Allah. (33.5)

Kunta feels a strong sense of spirituality when he's out in the natural world. It gives him an idea of how small he is in the grand scheme of things, first off, but it also connects him to his ancestors, knowing that they looked at the same natural world in the distant past.