Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl with the Louding Voice, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Education, Empowerment, and Self-Worth
Gender Inequality and Solidarity
Wealth, Poverty, and Choice
Survival
Summary
Analysis
Adunni has been in Morufu’s house for almost four weeks and has witnessed many of Morufu’s horrific outbursts of anger. She decides that “there is a devil inside Morufu” when he gets this way. Labake, who harasses Adunni incessantly, is also evil, though to a lesser extent. Adunni recalls a time when she was in the bathroom when Labake wanted to wash. Rather than wait for Adunni, Labake dragged Adunni’s naked and dripping out of the bathroom, covering her with sand. The experience made Adunni feel shameful.
Labake is jealous and threatened by Adunni’s presence in the house and responds by trying to make Adunni as miserable as she is. Labake either fails or doesn’t want to acknowledge that it’s Morufu, not Adunni, who is the real villain here, since it was Morufu who chose to accept a child bride.
Themes
Khadija and Adunni comfort each other on the nights they share a room. Khadija tells Adunni that she should fight back physically the next time Labake assaults her. When Adunni feels sad, Khadija rubs her shoulders, and when Khadija’s baby kicks too much, Adunni sings songs to Khadija’s belly.
Adunni and Khadija make their existence at Morufu’s more bearable by establishing a relationship built on mutual respect and compassion. Labake, in contrast, chooses to make enemies of the other wives and seemingly has no friends or allies.
Themes
Last night, Khadija told Adunni that she won’t be sad once she has children. Khadija didn’t originally want children and even took a medicine to prevent pregnancy. 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 given that they wouldn’t have a chance to go to school or have a voice.
Khadija readjusts her expectations in life and does what she has to do to make it through each day. While in an ideal world she might have continued her education and made a life for herself, now she must consider her limited options as Morufu’s wife. She has children because they can give her happiness and meaning in an otherwise hopeless life. Adunni’s thoughts extend beyond simple survival as she worries about the ethical ramifications of having a children within a society that oppresses women and marries young girls off rather than allowing them to get educations.
Themes
This morning, Adunni walks into the kitchen, where she finds Khadija plucking ewedu leaves. Adunni asks about obtaining the medicine Khadija took to prevent pregnancy, because she has decided that wants to fight for her education instead of having a baby. Khadija tries to talk her out of it, reasoning that if she gives Morufu a son, Morufu will provide for her family back home, as well as her future children. Recognizing that Adunni’s mind is made up, though, Khadija relents and tells her about a concoction of leaves she can take to prevent pregnancy. Adunni must drink the medicine before and after her period, “and every time you and Morufu are doing the thing.” Most importantly, Morufu must not know that she is taking the medicine.
Even though Adunni risks jeopardizing her position in Morufu’s house and cutting off her family’s access to money and supplies, she decides that receiving an education is most important, so she decides to try preventing pregnancy by taking the medicine. Unlike Khadija, who eventually resigns herself to accepting her limited prospects in life, Adunni holds out hope that she might be able to accomplish her goals in the future.
Themes
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