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Chapter 8
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
When Adunni wakes up the next morning, her “under” is in terrible pain from last night, which she tries to block from her memory. Morufu orders her to bring him food. She goes to the kitchen, where Khadija is preparing yams. Adunni spots a knife and fantasizes about sneaking the knife into the bedroom and cutting off Morufu’s genitals. Khadija asks her if she is OK. When Adunni tells her that she bled “under,” Khadija suggests Ibukun powder for the pain.
Adunni represses the trauma of her rape in an effort to make it through the day, though she can’t completely block it out, as the event has physically harmed her. Rather than react jealously to the new, much younger bride having sex with her husband (as Labake might), Khadija comforts Adunni and tries to help her alleviate her pain.
Themes
Khadija asks Adunni if she would like anything to eat, but all Adunni wants to do is wash her body. Khadija tells Adunni to go to the bathroom—she can use her bucket of water. Adunni goes to the bathroom and pours the freezing water over her skin, washing the scents of Morufu from her body. After she washes, she remains in the bathroom, lying on the cold floor, wanting the time between now and her next night with Morufu to pass as slowly as possible.
Water takes on a conventional symbolism of cleansing and rebirth here, with Adunni both literally and figuratively washing to remove Morufu’s presence from her body. Adunni is a strong character, but even she finds the prospect of having to repeat last night’s encounter with Morufu hard to accept.
Themes
