Two thousand season, a thousand going into it, a second thousand crawling maimed from it, will teach you everything about enslavement, the destruction of souls, the killing of bodies, the infusion of violence into every breath, every drop, every morsel of your sustaining air, your water, your food. Till you come again upon the way.”
-- Anoa ("the way")

Importance: This quote comes from the passage detailing Anoa’s prophecy for the community. The quote is interesting because it offers a subtle timeline. According to the timeline, there will be a “second thousand” years following the slave trade, implying that this novel, written in 1979, is still within that period of time, in which Africa is still “crawling maimed.” The quote implies that the work is not yet done and the prophecy not yet fulfilled.

The heavy phenomenon of the slave forever conditioned against himself, against our people. With such never will there be any possibility...
-- Narrator ("the ostentatious cripple" )