Kapuscinski also visits Kumasi inThe Shadow of the Sun and describes the structure of the clan of which the male is placed at the top of the social hierarchy. “At the head of a clan stands a chief”. “He is chosen by a clan assembly, which is led by a council of elders”(p.31). It is clear that among the people of Kumasi that the leader of the clan are always male and are also chose from a group of council members consisting of males. Nevertheless the female is not to be left out for it is believed man is composed of two parts and receives his stronger side from the mother. Kapuscinski explains that the dichotomy of man in the Kumasi culture is divided by blood from the mother which is inherited and the spirit which is passed. However it is evident both implicitly and explicit that the mother possess the much stronger trait as her blood and characteristics are inherited while the fathers is merely passed on as if it was an object. Although a passing of your blood, your essence to your children, wouldn’t be considered by many as the conventional form of power (making decisions, setting laws, etc.) it is still a great quality to have bestowed upon yourself, for the mother carries the existence of her whole clan. Without the female not only is the lineage lost but so are the chief, council members and all thee high position in their culture held primarily by males. In The Dark Child despite Kouroussa being a patrilineal kinship village it does not take away from the power Laye mothers possesses. Laye throughout his autobiography holds her mother in such high regards and has a deep reverence that at times makes her seem like the head of the family. He mentions the power his mother possess when he speaks of her ability to ward off evil through visions she see in her dreams and also her skills to fetch water from the crocodile infested Niger river without harm. Although