The Diviner Character Analysis

A practitioner of the traditional Igbo religion, the diviner is seen as a wise and powerful man by the people of the village—at least, by those that haven’ t converted to Christianity yet. When Elizabeth comes to him, distraught that her son, Amos, will marry Sarah, a member of the lowest social class in Igbo society, the diviner performs a ritual to prevent the marriage from occurring. Even though the ritual doesn’t work, Elizabeth still returns to her original faith after her encounter with the diviner. The diviner is seen as a source of power and authority in the village. However, his only appearance in the story is an instance in which he fails to successfully perform a magical ritual, inviting readers to consider the possibility that his authority might not be totally warranted.