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
Amari wishes that Saran were still alive, chained up so she could talk to him. The sun rises and anxiety rises among the elders. Amari realizes that Inan is right: she has to play Nehanda’s games if she wants to win. She thinks of the villagers in Ibadan and wonders what she’ll sacrifice to win. Nâo suddenly rises out of the water, bloody and bruised. She gasps that there were explosions. Tzain and other elders race for the entrance to the village, but Amari stops Tzain with her magic. She says that no one can go into the village. Khani shouts for Imani and Kâmarū shouts for Jahi. Amari sees Saran’s face and knows that he’d follow through, even if it killed everyone he loved. She remembers her vow to be a better queen, apologizes, and blows a signal horn.
In this moment, Amari chooses to be like Saran and Nehanda, whatever it is she’s doing. It’s guaranteed to be violent and deadly, since she wonders what she’ll sacrifice and thinks of the villagers. This shows that the fight has gotten to the point where extreme violence that doesn’t seem called for appears to be the only way forward. That Amari is clearly going against the wishes of everyone else (other than Jahi and Imani) also shows that violence like this can split even allies apart from each other.
Themes
