In the nineteenth and twentieth century, the continent of Africa went through a transition that it was not prepared for. Many inhabitants were afraid of the transition, and many were welcoming. This transition was the modernization of Africa. The people feared that the coming of a modernized Africa would erase their traditions and customs from the continent. The others felt that the past must be forgotten, or at least considered "history" in order to modernize completely.

             In the novel, "God's Bits of Wood", the main theme explored is the relationship between human beings and machines in the late half of the eighteenth century and into the twentieth century. It showed some of the characters thankfulness for the machine and how necessary it was in their lives. "When the smoke from the trains no longer drifted above the savanna, they realized that an age had ended - an age their elders had told them about, when all of Africa was just a garden for food. Now the machine ruled over their lands, and when they forced every machine within a thousand miles to halt they became conscious of their strength, but conscious also of their dependence" (Sembene, 2008). During the strike, it emphasizes the French overseers and their inhumanity to man and how they treat the workers like animals. They gave the workers no value (Sembene, 2008). There is also struggle to improve their lives. The men seem to strive to improve their money situation while the women work to keep life going by looking for food, water and clothes. .

             Freeing the African people from centuries of colonial rule and it is racial discrimination gave vast improvements in education. There is still much work to be done. There needs to be a philosophy in place that respects diversity and life experiences. The accepted Western knowledge is not practical. There needs to be capacity in place that will enable African communities to contribute to their education themselves.