Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Children of Virtue and Vengeance, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power and Systems of Oppression
Cycles of Violence
Tradition and History
Love vs. Duty
Summary
Analysis
Nehanda wears a gold suit of armor. She insists that Amari is a power-hungry tyrant making silly promises. Nehanda accuses Amari of sending maji to kill her and points out that Amari killed Saran and Inan. Flustered, Amari admits that she killed Saran, but doesn’t get to finish saying she didn’t kill Inan before people begin calling her a traitor. Fury spreads through the dome as Nehanda insists that Amari is a dangerous child. Zélie sees Mama’s corpse and Baba’s casket as Nehanda announces Amari’s arrest. Nehanda’s guards smash black orbs as Tzain, Zélie, and Amari watch in horror.
Nehanda’s speech is fundamentally accusatory and violent—so it makes far more sense to the people of Orïsha. For the nobles in power, Nehanda would represent a return to normal for them, while Amari becoming queen could mean major upheaval and change in their lives and practices. For this reason alone, supporting Nehanda is in their best interests, as it preserves their power too.
Themes
