What do Facial Markings represent?

Facial markings symbolize two things: one's cultural background, and one's beauty. Aminata has two crescent-moon shapes carved into her cheeks; these identify her as a Muslim believer in her Fulbe village. They also symbolize beauty: "The crescent moons were to make me beautiful" (21).

Throughout the book, Aminata often looks for facial markings in the other slaves she meets, hoping to find someone from her village or from her region. Facial markings, then, also symbolize something else for her: home.