Prejudice and Inequality Theme Analysis

Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone was inspired in part by the ways that prejudice and bigotry drive fear and violence in the real world—for example, she points to contemporary instances of police brutality against black people in America. In the fictional country of Orïsha, society is sharply stratified by a system that pits maji, who do magic, and divîners, who have the potential to do magic, against kosidán, who cannot perform magic. Because those with magical abilities are seen as dangerous, divîners are treated as inferior and even inhuman, and they are frequently exploited, abused, and denied rights. Assumptions based on this caste system cause characters to judge and mistrust one another. Prejudice is rooted in fear and creates more fear; ultimately, as long as prejudice exists, it is impossible for society to be fair and just.

One reason that prejudice is so pervasive and powerful is that it both feeds off of and generates fear. The Raid was a horrific event that shattered families; King Saran ordered for the death of all maji over the age of thirteen. Because of the Raid, citizens are now terrified of the king’s power, but the Raid was actually driven by Saran’s own fear of the maji. Thus, the raid was catalyzed by fear of divîners’ power, but now those motives have driven all divîners to be treated as second class citizens. Saran is aware that keeping divîners isolated and afraid is the best way to keep them under his control. He has created a system of institutionalized prejudice by forbidding maji and kosidán from being in relationships and by heavily taxing those who associate with divîners. The caste system is designed to cut off divîners from their traditions, which is another way of ensuring that they remain powerless and fearful of Saran. As a result of these practices, divîners live in a state of constant fear. Inan, the sheltered crown prince of Orïsha, realizes this once he begins to interact with citizens beyond the confines of the palace. For many citizens of Orïsha, there is no such thing as true safety—there are only degrees of danger. Because he fears the maji, Saran uses prejudice to keep the maji afraid of him.

Furthermore, this systematized prejudice creates major imbalances in Orïshan society, showing the ways in which prejudice, and, by extension, dehumanization, are tied to economic inequality. In an effort to keep them under control, Saran levies heavy taxes on the divîners. Taxes are one way of preventing the divîners from asserting their rightful place in society. Most divîners are trapped in poverty because the taxes against them are so high. If divîners fail to pay their taxes, they are punished severely. In addition, because they are seen as dangerous, second-class citizens, divîners are exploited for labor. In the “stocks,” divîners are treated like animals or slaves. The prejudice against them allows them to be seen as less than human, and they are exploited for economic gain.

Adeyemi demonstrates that there can be no peaceful rule when prejudice exists, because dehumanization justifies many forms of injustice. Not only are divîners feared and oppressed, but their place in society is cemented by the fact that they are routinely dehumanized by those in power. This dehumanization is embodied by the slur “maggot,” which the nobility uses to refer to divîners. Guards and nobles who throw the word around have an easier time seeing divîners as nothing more than threatening animals that must be conquered, and treat them accordingly. Because she is a divîner, Zélie, a teenager who lives in poverty in a coastal village, faces constant harassment at the hands of the guards who are ostensibly there to protect citizens. Since they view her as a second-class citizen, the guards have no problem verbally and sexually assaulting her. The divîners aren’t fully protected by the law, and in fact must fear the guards in their own kingdom. Unlike her brother, who is a kosidán, Zélie believes from first-hand experience that it is impossible to reason with the guards, because they act based on prejudice and not on justice. Zélie believes that the only way to overcome such deep-rooted oppression is not to reason with the government, who view them as maggots, but to overthrow those in power.

Throughout Children of Blood and Bone, Adeyemi demonstrates the insidious and far-reaching effects of prejudice. Prejudice is often driven by fear, but it only creates even more fear. Ultimately, because prejudice leads to dehumanization, oppression, and exploitation, it is impossible for a just society to exist as long as it operates on such a foundation.