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Chapter 38
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
In her room that night, Adunni thanks God for letting her go with Ms. Tia. She also thanks God for her life and prays for Khadija and for Ms. Tia’s attempts at pregnancy. She doesn’t pray for Kayus, though, because thinking about him makes her too sad.
Adunni prays to God as a source of strength to endure her circumstances. She continues to repress thoughts of Kayus because grieving the things she cannot change will make her weak and unable to do her job, which jeopardizes her livelihood.
Themes
When Adunni finishes praying, she leaves her room and walks outside toward the clothesline. Through the darkness, she can see Big Daddy’s figure. He’s talking on the phone, making plans with someone he calls “baby love,” and Adunni can hear a female voice on the other end of the line. Big Daddy notices Adunni and hangs up the phone. Adunni assures him that she didn’t hear anything.
Big Daddy doesn’t seem to treat Big Madam with any affection, so it’s safe to assume that the woman he calls “baby love” is one of his mistresses. Despite her lowly status as a housemaid, Adunni now poses something of a threat to Big Daddy because she overheard his secret phone call. Adunni recognizes that she must feign innocence, keep this information to herself, and not advocate for Big Madam by telling her about the conversation to avoid retaliation from Big Daddy.
Themes
Big Daddy tells Adunni that she should be grateful to him for arranging for Adunni to continue seeing Ms. Tia. He confesses that he saw the two of them working together and knows about the secret lessons, but that he supports her education, which is more than he can say of his wife, who is very close to firing Adunni. Big Daddy says that he is a “generous” man and will allow Adunni to continue her education, but only if she allows him to “help” her and give her lots of money.
Big Daddy confirms that his uncharacteristic act of kindness earlier that day was an attempt to manipulate Adunni into a sexual relationship. He manipulates Adunni further by insinuating that she’s at risk of losing her job, pitting her against Big Madam, and offering to put her through school, knowing Adunni’s fierce desire for an education.
Themes
Adunni tells Big Daddy that she only wants the money she has earned and heads back to her room, thinking to herself that the only difference between Morufu and Big Daddy is that Big Daddy can speak good English and Morufu cannot: inside, they both “have the same terrible sickness of the mind.”
Adunni remains determined not to let her vulnerable status force her to accept help from disreputable people like Big Daddy. Her observation about Morufu and Big Daddy “hav[ing] the same terrible sickness of the mind” suggests that Big Daddy’s education and higher social status don’t make him a better, more virtuous person than Morufu. Even though they belong to different social classes, both men feel entitled to undervalue and abuse women.
Themes
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