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 wakes surrounded by reeds. She reaches for Tzain, but hears Inan. Inan says they need to talk about Nehanda, but Amari says she’s not foolish enough to fall for this. Inan insists that he didn’t sanction the attack and Amari can see that he’s telling the truth. Inan says that he doesn’t want this war anymore. Amari knows he means it, but she thinks of Baba and Mâzeli. Amari declares that this will only end when Inan and Nehanda are dead, but Inan says that no sacrifice is too great for Nehanda. Amari growls that she’ll win and tells Inan to let her go. He crumbles. Amari wakes up next to Tzain and knows she must be ruthless like Nehanda. She thinks of Ibadan’s villagers and of what the Iyika could do with the villagers gone. She gets up and wakes Jahi.
Even if Amari can tell that Inan is being truthful about not wanting this war anymore, she nevertheless cannot bring herself to trust that what he says is true. This is, of course, a direct consequence of Inan’s actions, and specifically his choice to continue to trust Nehanda. He can’t expect Amari to trust him after all the times Nehanda has ruined attempts at diplomacy. Amari’s realization that she needs to be ruthless like her mother suggests once again that her parents have taught her that violence is the only answer—and that winning is more important than anything else.
Themes
