Previous
Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl with the Louding Voice, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Education, Empowerment, and Self-Worth
Gender Inequality and Solidarity
Wealth, Poverty, and Choice
Survival
Summary
Analysis
Khadija is now eight months pregnant and afraid the baby will arrive early. She asks Adunni to accompany her to the midwife, explaining that needs this baby to be strong and survive because she knows it is a boy—she did something “shame[ful]” to make sure.
Khadija knows that Morufu measures her worth based on her ability to give him a son, so she goes to extreme measures to make sure she fulfill his expectations. If Khadija is ashamed of what she did to ensure that she gives birth to a boy, she must have done something drastic.
Themes
The next day, Khadija and Adunni make plans to visit the midwife. They will tell Morufu (whom Adunni refers to as Khadija’s husband, because she can’t bear to call him her own husband) that they are visiting Khadija’s sick mother. Khadija won’t reveal why they cannot tell Morufu the truth. Adunni and Khadija find Morufu and Labake outside, waiting in front of Morufu’s taxi; today is Kike’s wedding, and they are preparing to bring her to her new husband’s house. Khadija tells Morufu about their proposed trip. Labake is pleased that the other two wives won’t be around to steal the spotlight from her on Kike’s wedding day.
Refusing to call Morufu her husband seems to be another way that Adunni represses and rejects the things that pain her: if she doesn’t believe in her heart that Morufu is her husband, she doesn’t have to feel like his property. Labake’s happiness about being the center of attention, meanwhile, is at the expense of her daughter, Kike, whom she is marrying off and subjecting to her new husband’s rule. Labake doesn’t even show solidarity to her own daughter in this situation—it’s most important to her to maintain the image of some level of power.
Themes
Adunni and Khadija begin the two-mile trek to the bus. Khadija is miserable and terribly ill, complaining the entire time about needing to relieve herself and sleep. Khadija’s behavior worries Adunni, but she tries to comfort her friend. Khadija begins to fall asleep and tells Adunni to wake her when they get to Kere village.
As Khadija’s situation grows increasingly grim, there’s a parallel between Adunni’s experience with Khadija’s illness and her experience with Mama’s illness. Both women are the only people who stand between Adunni and the people who want to harm her. Now Khadija is seriously ill and potentially in danger of dying, which would leave Adunni without anyone to support her.
Themes
