Pavement

Pavement symbolizes civilization in the eyes of young Nigerians who, at the time Ndibe is a child, have not been educated to realize that they need not be ashamed to be African. The most significant thing that Ndibe's schoolmate reports about London is that "all you can see is concrete" (6). The pavement suggests wealth in addition to culture, and Ndibe longs to go to a paved country.

False gods

False gods represent things that people believe in, but are not true. Ndibe compares various untrustworthy things to false gods, such as fashion trends and the American consular who denies him a visa. When he and his brother try to follow fashion trends by getting bell bottoms, they find that they have been deceived, as the trends have changed by the time they get the pants. The American consular believes firmly in his own power to deny...