Flowers are a motif throughout the novel, beginning with the title itself. The phrase “petals of blood” comes from the poem “The Swamp” by Saint Lucian writer Derek Walcott. The poem describes the ugliness of a tree and its domination over a swamp, preventing the beauty of a flower beneath from ever truly reaching the light or blossoming. In the novel, neocolonial systems—wealth, greed, religion, education, government, and more—are the tree that prevents the beauty underneath—Kenya and its people—from ever blossoming.

The first mention of the phrase “petals of blood” comes when Munira takes his class outdoors. He attempts to explain the scientific parts of a flower but is instead interrupted by a child who exclaims “Look. A flower with petals of blood” (26). Munira’s reaction to this exemplifies the problems with education in Kenya. Instead of encouraging the students to consider nature and its beauty—and in turn, the questions that arise about man, God, and the law—he retreats back into the school where he has full control, vowing to never take them outside again. This is similar to the neocolonial education system throughout Africa: Instead of encouraging students to consider larger ideas like their position in the world, nature, and humanity, they keep them under strict control through a European education.