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 recalls a time two years before Mama died when a rich man with a black, shiny car arrived at their compound. The man approached Adunni, who was sitting under her family’s mango tree, and asked to speak to her mother, Idowu. Adunni told the man that Mama was out, and he introduced himself as Ade. Ade told Adunni that he came to Ikati village to see the gravesite of his grandmother and wanted to say hello to Mama before returning home to the UK. He instructed Adunni to tell Mama that he “didn’t forget her” and then drove away.
The fact that Ade refers to Mama by her first name, and that he instructs Adunni to pass along the mysterious message that he “didn’t forget her” hints that Mama and Ade had a romantic past. Ade’s ability to travel back and forth between Nigeria and the UK might mean that he is wealthy, or at least more financially secure that Adunni and her family.
Themes
When Adunni told Mama about Ade, Mama began to cry, softly, so that Papa wouldn’t hear. A few weeks later, Mama explained to Adunni that she met Mr. Ade (who came from a rich family in Lagos) many years ago, when he was visiting his grandmother in Ikati. Mr. Ade bought some of the puff-puff Mama was selling, and they fell in love. Because Mama was uneducated, Mr. Ade’s family forbade the marriage and sent Mr. Ade abroad. Mama’s family forced her to marry Adunni’s father, though she never loved him. Back in the present, Adunni reflects on how Papa is now doing the same thing to her.
Mama’s tragic romance illustrates the limitations poverty places on a person’s—particularly a woman’s—ability to make decisions based on their needs and desires. The lovers’ very different fates offer a compelling example of gender inequality. Although Ade must also have been heartbroken that he could not marry Mama, his gender and money allow him to leave Nigeria for the UK, whereas Mama has fewer options and is forced into an unloving marriage in her native village. Mama’s own experience of being married off to a man she didn’t love is likely why she was so adamant about Papa not marrying Adunni off.
Themes
The day Mama told Adunni about Mr. Ade, she also vowed to give Adunni an education so that she could have a chance at a better life. In Nigeria, learning to speak English could mean getting a better job and not being forced to marry. To Mama, education was a way for Adunni to gain a “voice.” That day, Adunni vowed to finish school and become a teacher because she “want[ed] a louding voice.”
Mama urges Adunni to become educated because she sees education as a way for Adunni to break the cycle of gendered inequality. An education can also lead to a good job, which could help Adunni (and potentially her entire family) escape poverty. Beyond this, education can help Adunni find a “louding voice,” or inner sense of self-worth that will allow her to make decisions based on her needs and wants—something that Mama was denied.
Themes
Back in the present, Adunni approaches Papa, who is sitting on the sofa watching TV. She thinks about Papa’s harsh nature, recalling how he would shout at—and on one occasion, beat—Mama. The beating was for interrupting him, something Mama, as a woman, was not supposed to do to a man. Adunni begs Papa to call off the marriage, but he refuses. Spit spews from his mouth as he tells Adunni that Morufu is bringing the family four goats the next day, as well as fowl, rice, and money.
The physical violence present in Mama and Papa’s marriage highlights another aspect of gendered oppression in Adunni’s culture. In addition, Papa’s announcement that Morufu will provide the family with animals, rice, and money puts a tangible price on Adunni’s worth and shows how she is commodified by male characters.
Themes
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Adunni tries to reason with Papa, arguing that forcing her to marry Morufu would be throwing away her future. She tells him that she is smart, and if she could finish school and get a good job, this could help the family, too. Papa tells Adunni that they need the money for rent and food now, not later; what’s more, Morufu has offered to pay Papa more money if Adunni’s first pregnancy is a boy. Appalled, Adunni reminds Papa of his promise to Mama, but Papa refuses to reconsider the marriage.
Adunni’s argument that she can support the family after she finishes her schooling and becomes a teacher doesn’t matter to Papa, because the family needs financial relief now, not years down the road. Their poverty means they don’t have the privilege of making long-term investments. Beyond this, the fact that Morufu will pay Papa more money if Adunni gives birth to a son shows that the male characters don’t place value on Adunni’s intelligence—her worth is based on her ability to become pregnant and produce a male child, not on her personal skills or interests. Moreover, it’s implied that Morufu won’t pay extra if Adunni gives birth to a daughter, further demonstrating how men and boys are seen as more valuable than women and girls in this society.
Themes
When Morufu comes by the house the next day to drop off the goats, Adunni refuses to come out of her room to thank him. She covers her head with Mama’s wrapper and hears Papa and her future husband laughing and drinking gin in the parlor. Morufu talks about Boko Haram kidnapping schoolgirls.
Boko Haram is a terrorist organization based in Nigeria that sparked international outrage when they kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls in 2014. Overhearing Morufu talk about Boko Haram takes on a symbolic significance: in a sense, his decision to marry Adunni robs her of an education in the same way that the Boko Haram abduction denied the schoolgirls their autonomy and access to education. Both scenarios feature a patriarchal structure that robs girls of freedom and opportunities.
Themes
