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
Ramaya snarls that Amari has no right to even be in the sanctuary, since she’s not a maji. Amari’s ashê glows hot and blue; she knows that because of Ramaya and the current elders, they lost their leverage in this war. Amari insists that tîtáns have magic too and will be useful to the cause, and she reminds Ramaya that she’s been fighting for the maji as long as Zélie has. Mama Agba steps between the girls and clears the stone area. Zélie runs to Amari and insists that this isn’t about the war. Being an elder is about leading the clan, and Amari knows nothing about the maji. Amari says that she must do this as queen of Orïsha. Mama Agba warns the girls that they shouldn’t kill each other and starts the fight.
Again, though Amari makes good points—the tîtáns could be useful to the maji—she misses or ignores the fact that tîtáns are nobles who have spent centuries oppressing the maji. Because of this, they’re not the maji’s first choice of allies. When Amari insists that she has to do this as the queen of Orïsha, it shows that she’s putting what she thinks is best for her country (unity and peace) ahead of what might be more correct in this situation: accepting a structure and a way of life that she doesn’t understand.
Themes
Amari strikes first with a Yoruba incantation, but Ramaya dodges a ball of ashê and sends her own ashê into Amari’s skull. It takes a minute before Amari can see again. Amari hears “Strike, Amari” in her head and tries several more incantations, but Ramaya laughs and again sends excruciating pain into Amari’s chest. People cheer for Ramaya. Ramaya whispers in Amari’s ear that Orïsha and the maji will be better off with Amari dead. Energized, Amari grabs Ramaya and unleashês all of her magic. Ramaya screams. Amari can hear Zélie shouting at her to stop, but Amari can’t stop. Someone pulls Amari off and Khani checks Ramaya, who’s barely alive. Zélie pulls Amari close and comforts her. Amari whispers that she didn’t mean to do this.
The lack of control, as well as the wild amount of power, that Amari has are extremely disturbing, for the reader as well as for the gathered Iyika. Amari demonstrates that by coopting the language of the maji, she can turn herself into a formidable foe—which shows the Iyika that they must keep their language from the monarchy, for one. This also likely makes the Iyika believe that Amari cannot be trusted, since her powers are unstable and she’s willing to turn them all the way up on a member of her own clan after specifically being told not to.
Themes
