Houses Symbol in The Girl with the Louding Voice

Houses symbolize the oppressive social and cultural norms in Adunni’s society. Each time Adunni moves to a new house—which always happens out of force or necessity rather than choice—there’s a new authority figure and a new set of norms she must adapt to. In Adunni’s childhood home, Papa has the final say, and so Adunni is subjected to the socially accepted practice of Papa selling her as a child bride. Then, when Adunni moves into her husband, Morufu’s, house, she must adjust to the rules he sets—which means serving him and enduring his abuse. Finally, when Adunni moves to Big Madam’s house, she faces an even more complex set of cultural norms. There is a class-based hierarchy in the house that intersects with gender inequality, as evidenced by the way Big Daddy tries to use Adunni’s status as an impoverished woman to manipulate her into a sexual relationship. Together, all of the houses Adunni lives in represent the various forms of gendered oppression she’s subjected to, and her inability to make her own decisions or pursue the life she wants.

Furthermore, the symbolism of houses contrasts with the freedom that the outdoors offers. Many of the best, most freeing events of Adunni’s life occur when she is outside: for instance, her first moment of freedom as Morufu’s bride occurs when Khadija gives her permission to walk to the river to see her friends. Later on, Adunni’s first English lesson with Ms. Tia—which is instrumental in inspiring Adunni to pursue her education and eventually escape from indentured servitude—takes place outside, under a palm tree. In contrast to the strict rules and violence that characterize the indoors, the outdoors represents freedom and empowerment.

Houses Quotes in The Girl with the Louding Voice

The The Girl with the Louding Voice quotes below all refer to the symbol of Houses. 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:

Education, Empowerment, and Self-Worth Theme Icon

My wedding be like watching a movie inside the tee-vee. My eyes was watching myself as I was kneeling down in front of my father, as he was saying a prayer to be following me to my husband house, as my mouth was opening, my lips parting, my voice saying “Amen” to the prayers even though my mind was not understanding what is happening to me.

Related Characters: Adunni (speaker), Morufu, Papa

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 36

Explanation and Analysis:

“Your dead mother and me, we are age-mates. God forbid for me to share my husband with my own child. God forbid that I am waiting for you to finish with my husband before I can enter his room. Ah, you will suffer in this house. Ask Khadija, she will tell you that I am a wicked woman. That my madness is not having cure.”

Related Characters: Labake (speaker), Adunni, Khadija, Morufu, Mama (Idowu), Papa

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 45

Explanation and Analysis:

“When you begin to born your children, you will not be too sad again,” she say. “When I first marry Morufu, I didn’t want to born children. I was too afraid of having a baby so quick, afraid of falling sick from the load of it. So I take something, a medicine, to stop the pregnant from coming. But after two months, I say to myself, ‘Khadija, if you don’t born a baby, Morufu will send you back to your father’s house.’ So I stop the medicine and soon I born my first girl, Alafia. When I hold her in my hands for the first time, my heart was full of so much love. Now, my children make me laugh when I am not even thinking to laugh. Children are joy, Adunni. Real joy.”

Related Characters: Khadija (speaker), Adunni, Morufu, Labake, Alafia

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 59

Explanation and Analysis:

When she come out, she draw deep breath and her chest, wide like blackboard, is climbing up and down, up and down. It is as if this woman is using her nostrils to be collecting all the heating from the outside and making us to be catching cold. I am standing beside Mr. Kola, and his body is shaking like my own. Even the trees in the compound, the yellow, pink, blue flowers in the long flowerpot, all of them too are shaking.

Related Characters: Adunni (speaker), Big Madam (Florence Adeoti), Khadija, Mama (Idowu), Kola, Iya

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 144

Explanation and Analysis:

I am not understanding why Kofi is always saying Nigerians are spending this and that when him too, he is using the Nigerians money to be building his house in his Ghana country. I see when the visitors of Big Madam give him money, how he will squeeze it tight and slide it inside his pocket with a big smile and a big thank you. Why didn’t he refuse the money if it is thief money? He too is among the problem wrong with Nigeria.

Related Characters: Adunni (speaker), Big Madam (Florence Adeoti), Kofi

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 182

Explanation and Analysis:

I step inside, see about five girls sitting on the floor, their head down. They all look the same age of me: fourteen, fifteen. All are wearing dirty dress of ankara or plain material with shoes like wet toilet paper, tearing everywhere. Hair is rough, or low-cut to the scalp. They smell of stinking sweat, of a body that needs serious washing, and they all look sad, lost, afraid. Like me. […] One of the girls look up then, hook her eyes on me. There is no kindness in her eyes. Nothing. Only fear. Cold fear. She say nothing, but with her eyes, she seem to be saying: You are me. I am you. Our madams are different, but they are the same.

Related Characters: Adunni (speaker)

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 291

Explanation and Analysis:

I leave the room, closing the door on the memory of the sad and the bitter and the happy of it all, knowing that even if everybody forgets about Rebecca, or about me, the wall in the room we shared will remind them that we were here. That we are human. Of value. Important.

Related Characters: Adunni (speaker), Ms. Tia/Tia Dada, Big Madam (Florence Adeoti), Rebecca, Mama (Idowu)

Related Symbols: Houses

Page Number and Citation: 361

Explanation and Analysis:

Houses Symbol Timeline in The Girl with the Louding Voice

The timeline below shows where the symbol Houses appears in The Girl with the Louding Voice. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Gender Inequality and Solidarity Theme Icon

...they are out of beans, so that she can go to her best friend Enitan’s house and discuss the marriage. To Adunni’s surprise, Papa presents her with two 50-naira notes. Adunni... (full context)

Adunni walks to Enitan’s house, which is much nicer than her own. When Enitan sees Adunni, she addresses her friend... (full context)

When Morufu comes by the house the next day to drop off the goats, Adunni refuses to come out of her... (full context)

Adunni and Enitan are behind Adunni’s house trying on makeup for the wedding, which is tomorrow. Enitan is laughing and cheerful, but... (full context)

...and Adunni drive for 20 minutes and arrive at a large compound with a cement house situated in the middle of it. This is Morufu’s house, which he built himself. He... (full context)

Adunni enters Morufu’s parlor, which contains a sofa, wooden table, TV, and kerosene lantern. There are two women in... (full context)

...his speech. He orders Adunni to respect him, because he is “the king in this house.” Nobody—neither the wives nor the children—can talk back to him. He instructs Adunni not to... (full context)

...her husband with a girl so young and plans to make Adunni’s life in this house as miserable as possible. After Labake leaves the parlor, Khadija comforts Adunni, insisting that Labake... (full context)

...first, which is the rule for everything. Khadija reiterates that Morufu “is king in this house.” (full context)

Khadija and Adunni return to the main interior of the house and Khadija shows Adunni to Morufu’s room at the end of a hallway. She points... (full context)

Adunni has been in Morufu’s house for almost four weeks and has witnessed many of Morufu’s horrific outbursts of anger. She... (full context)

...But after Alafia was born, she learned that loving her children made life in Morufu’s house bearable. Internally, Adunni wonders if it’s fair to bring children into such a sad world—especially... (full context)

Adunni’s life in Morufu’s house is bearable when she is with Khadija: they laugh together and help each other with... (full context)

Today, Morufu and Labake are out of the house, so Adunni feels light and carefree. She sings a made-up song about going to school,... (full context)

...return to Morufu’s, carrying a pot of water on her head. As she approaches the house, she hears a rustling in the bushes. Labake emerges, angrily accusing Adunni of using her... (full context)

...found her a husband named Baba Ogun, and that tomorrow she will go to his house. Baba Ogun already has a wife, but Kike doesn’t seem to mind the arrangement because... (full context)

...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... (full context)

Adunni is confused and asks where the midwife’s house is, but Khadija tells her not to ask so many questions. Adunni ignores her own... (full context)

Adunni obeys Khadija and approaches the house. She knocks twice, and a young, handsome man answers the door. The man confirms that... (full context)

Adunni walks for many miles but is unable to find Bamidele’s house. She wonders what will happen to Khadija’s body if it is washed away—how will she... (full context)

...boards a motorcycle at the bus garage and asks the driver to go to Papa’s house. Adunni arrives and, in tears, tells Papa about Khadija’s death, pregnancy, curse, and relationship with... (full context)

...is. Adunni lies to Born-boy again, telling him that she is going back to Morufu’s house. After the siblings say goodbye, Born-boy goes into the house, and Adunni runs away. (full context)

...are going to Ikoyi, where Big Madam, who is very rich, has a very large house. (full context)

...which Mr. Kola says belongs to Big Madam. Beyond the gate is a big white house with a red roof. The house is surrounded by palm trees and colorful flowers. Adunni... (full context)

Adunni enters the house, and a short man wearing a white outfit greets her. A blue cloth bearing the... (full context)

Big Madam returns to the house without Mr. Kola and interrogates Kofi about dinner preparations. Adunni tries to ask where Mr.... (full context)

There are many rooms in Big Madam’s house, and each one serves its own purpose: one is for bathing, one is for sleeping,... (full context)

Next, Kofi shows Adunni to her room, which is in a separate small house on the compound called “the boys’ quarters” where the staff live. Kofi leads Adunni to... (full context)

Adunni’s list of chores at Big Madam’s house is endless: she is responsible for everything from sleeping the floors, to pulling weeds, to... (full context)

...ambassador to Nigeria’s personal chef and needs to make enough money to finish building his house back home. Since Adunni can’t return to her village, Kofi advises her to stop complaining,... (full context)

...him, since he is using his pay—money he receives from these so-called “thieves,”—to build a house in Ghana. Kofi tells Adunni that the host of the most recent party was Big... (full context)

...him: she can only answer to Big Daddy if Big Madam is also in the house. Adunni tries to ask Big Madam a question about Rebecca again. Adunni’s curiosity enrages Big... (full context)

...education. The day after Big Madam leaves for her trip, Ms. Tia comes by the house to apologize to Adunni for leaving so abruptly yesterday. She explains that people ask her... (full context)

...it’s too soon for that. She tells Adunni that Ken’s mother was just at their house, something she does once a month to pester Ms. Tia about grandchildren. This is stressful,... (full context)

...be in a great mood—she’s even satisfied with how Adunni has taken care of the house while she’s been away. As she inspects the house, she tells Adunni that her son... (full context)

On Monday, Ms. Tia arrives and brings Adunni to the Dada house. Adunni converses with Ms. Tia as they walk, trying to incorporate some words that she... (full context)

Adunni and Ms. Tia enter the house through the kitchen. Adunni observes that the house is white and sparsely decorated, and she... (full context)

When Adunni returns to the house that evening, Big Madam is still at work. After finishing her chores, Adunni goes to... (full context)

...the auditorium through a glass door while the attendant ushers Adunni to a gray, windowless house in the very back of the church. There’s a foul-smelling bathroom building next to the... (full context)

Once inside the gray house, Adunni spots a group of other girls about her age who look equally as plain,... (full context)

Everything is quiet when Adunni returns to the house that evening. She runs to the kitchen and sees Kofi, who demands to know where... (full context)

Kofi starts to show Adunni pictures of the house he is building in Kumasi but stops when he sees the sad look on Adunni’s... (full context)

...mama got into a huge fight that ended in him kicking her out of the house. Once his mother was gone, the doctor confided in Ms. Tia that the bath was... (full context)

...if the scholarship doesn’t pan out, she will fight to remove Adunni from Big Madam’s house. Ms. Tia holds Adunni’s hands as tears flow from Adunni’s eyes. (full context)

...of a woman about to give birth. Adunni runs from her room to the main house. She finds Big Madam, her eyes red and swollen, sitting on the sofa. She doesn’t... (full context)

...growth. Kofi arrives at Adunni’s door the next morning. He’s seen the mess around the house, and Big Madam’s disheveled appearance, and demands to know what happened the night before. He... (full context)

...understands that the woman is too depressed to talk. Big Daddy remains away from the house. On the third night of his absence, Big Madam summons Adunni to her room. Adunni... (full context)

...see the results. In a low voice, Kofi adds that they have guests in the house: Big Daddy and his two sisters have arrived to plead with Big Madam to let... (full context)

...his sisters remain in the reception, because she has called a police officer to the house. Big Madam leaves, and Adunni tells a confused Kofi about Rebecca’s letter. (full context)

Adunni sweeps in the backyard until Kofi calls her to the house to eavesdrop on the scene unfolding in the reception. Through the “cloudy glass” of the... (full context)

...Madam, who is grumpy, needs her in the reception. As Adunni turns to enter the house, she feels her phone vibrate. She opens a text message from Ms. Tia informing her... (full context)

...Mama; for Papa, who could not see her worth; for Big Madam, “with her big house, the big cage of sadness around her soul”; and for Khadija’s tragic involvement with Bamidele. (full context)

...and they share a moment of sadness. Adunni leaves Kofi and runs to the main house. Before she returns to Big Madam and Ms. Tia, she walks past the library to... (full context)

...Rebecca’s letter to anyone. Adunni leaves with Ms. Tia and walks out of Big Madam’s house for the last time. Ms. Tia asks Adunni what she and Big Madam talked about... (full context)

Adunni and Ms. Tia begin their walk to the Dada house, and Adunni passes effortlessly through the iron gates of Big Madam’s house that she used... (full context)

The Girl with the Louding Voice

Abi Daré

Houses Symbol Analysis

Houses Quotes in The Girl with the Louding Voice

Houses Symbol Timeline in The Girl with the Louding Voice