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Nassun
Jija is a man of the Resistant use-caste who is Essun’s husband in Tirimo, and the father of her children Nassun and Uche. Jija never actually appears in person in The Fifth Season, but he is described as a likeable, honest man who was never violent and seemed to love his wife and children. Despite this, the novel begins just after Jija has seemingly beaten his two-year-old son Uche to death and fled with Nassun after learning that his wife and children are orogenes. Essun spends much of her plotline pursuing Jija, wanting to confront him about Uche’s death and then kill him in retribution.
Jija Quotes in The Fifth Season
The The Fifth Season quotes below are all either spoken by Jija or refer to Jija. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 10
Quotes
You think, maybe, you need to be someone else.
You’re not sure who. Previous yous have been stronger and colder, or warmer and weaker; either set of qualities is better suited to getting you through the mess you’re in. Right now you’re cold and weak, and that helps no one.
You could become someone new, maybe. You’ve done that before; it’s surprisingly easy. A new name, a new focus, then try on the sleeves and slacks of a new personality to find the perfect fit. A few days and you’ll feel like you’ve never been anyone else.
But. Only one you is Nassun’s mother. That’s what’s forestalled you so far, and ultimately it’s the deciding factor. At the end of all this, when Jija is dead and it’s finally safe to mourn your son…if she still lives, Nassun will need the mother she’s known all her life.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Fifth Season LitChart as a printable PDF.
Jija Quotes in The Fifth Season
The The Fifth Season quotes below are all either spoken by Jija or refer to Jija. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 10
Quotes
You think, maybe, you need to be someone else.
You’re not sure who. Previous yous have been stronger and colder, or warmer and weaker; either set of qualities is better suited to getting you through the mess you’re in. Right now you’re cold and weak, and that helps no one.
You could become someone new, maybe. You’ve done that before; it’s surprisingly easy. A new name, a new focus, then try on the sleeves and slacks of a new personality to find the perfect fit. A few days and you’ll feel like you’ve never been anyone else.
But. Only one you is Nassun’s mother. That’s what’s forestalled you so far, and ultimately it’s the deciding factor. At the end of all this, when Jija is dead and it’s finally safe to mourn your son…if she still lives, Nassun will need the mother she’s known all her life.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
