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
“Fact: Nigeria has the largest Christian population in Africa. A single church service can record a congregation of over 200,000.” Buhari wins the election, much to the excitement of Kofi, who looks forward to the change he believes Buhari will bring. Papa liked to follow the election, and Adunni wonders what he thinks of the news. The election results enrage Big Madam, who accuses Buhari of not speaking English. Adunni muses that if a man whose English is not good can be president, maybe she can be president one day, too.
Big Madam’s criticism of Bahari’s English establishes speaking the language as evidence of a person’s competency. Adunni casual musing about becoming president one day shows how receiving an education and realizing her “louding voice” gives her the confidence to imagine a future of possibility and opportunity.
Themes
It’s now the first Sunday of April, and Adunni is on her way to attend a special church service with her employers for Big Madam’s Women in Business group. Adunni comes along because Big Madam needs her to carry in fabrics she will give to women in the group. Adunni hasn’t attended a church service since moving to Lagos, and she is very excited. Big Madam wears a boubou made of a golden material and a gold gele. Adunni wears Rebecca’s old shoes, which have since grown ragged, but she likes wearing them because they make her feel as if she knew Rebecca.
A boubou is a long, robe-like women’s garment worn in West Africa. Gele is a Yoruba word meaning “head tie.” Big Madam’s elaborate, golden garments suggest that Lagos church services can be formal, flashy affairs. Rebecca’s shoes symbolize the space Rebecca and her mysterious disappearance hold in Adunni’s mind, as well as Adunni’s desire to keep Rebecca’s memory alive and let her voice be heard.
Themes
Ms. Tia is still in Port Harcourt visiting her mother, who has since been admitted to a hospital, though she texted Adunni recently to let her know she will be returning to Lagos soon. Adunni’s employers bicker over money for the church offering. As Big Madam hands Big Daddy money for this today’s church offering and for a conference next week, she reminds him that the church never actually received the last offering that Big Daddy was supposed to bring them.
Big Madam’s comment about the church not receiving the church offering implies that Big Daddy pocketed the money for himself. Big Daddy’s response shows that he doesn’t respect Big Madam and doesn’t acknowledge her position as the household’s breadwinner. His gender alone makes him feel that he has the right to make decisions about money he hasn’t earned.
Themes
Big Daddy grabs the money from Big Madam, grumbling about how ridiculous it sounds for a woman to be upset that “the head of the family, the man in charge of [her] home” spent the money that she gave him. Big Madam begins to cry, which makes Adunni feel bad for her. Adunni watches as Big Madam covertly turns toward the window and “sniffs something up her nose.”
Again, being a man makes Big Daddy feel entitled to Big Madam’s money. It allows him to see himself as “the head of the family, the man in charge of [her] home,” even though it’s Big Madam who supports the household financially and logistically. Adunni feels sympathy for Big Madam, recognizing that rich people can’t always use their money to make their problems go away. In Big Madam’s case, being a successful businesswoman isn’t enough to make her husband love or respect her. That Big Madam “sniffs something up her nose” seems to suggest that she is doing some kind of drug, which underscores how hurtful Big Daddy’s behavior is to her. She seemingly feels the need to self-medicate to cope with Big Daddy’s abuse.
Themes
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Abu stops the car when they arrive at the church, which is a grand, round building with a big golden cross on its roof. All of the attendees wear fancy, brightly colored clothing. Adunni recalls her humble church in Ikati, whose attendees dress “like they mourn, sing like they mourn too.” Big Daddy stays outside to smoke a siga while Adunni and Big Madam head up the stairs to a room that leads to the auditorium. A woman wearing tight, provocative clothing and lots of makeup welcomes them to the “Celebration Arena” but informs them that housemaids are not allowed in the auditorium.
The golden cross on the church’s roof is a visual indicator of the congregants’ wealth, as is the flashy clothing the congregants wear. There’s an air of falseness to the scene: it seems as though these people want to have a party and show off to one another rather than worship God. This becomes especially apparent to Adunni when she hears the attendant refer to the place of worship as the “Celebration Arena.” Siga is the Yoruba word for cigarette.
Themes
Big Madam enters the auditorium through a glass door while the attendant ushers Adunni to a gray, windowless house in the very back of the church. There’s a foul-smelling bathroom building next to the gray house, and Adunni muses that they must have built this church “after they finish using all the money for the fine church in the front.” The attendant informs Adunni that this house is for “the housemaid service.”
That the attendees make housemaids observe the service in a separate, foul-smelling building reflects their hypocrisy; surely it would be more Christ-like to welcome the poor into their main hall of worship. The housemaids’ banishment to a separate building represents the way their lower social status, lack of education, and gender rob them of basic respect in society.
Themes
Once inside the gray house, Adunni spots a group of other girls about her age who look equally as plain, dirty, and sad. She makes eye contact of one of the girls, who “seems to be saying: You are me. I am you. Our madams are different, but they are the same.” Adunni spots Chisom, who is dressed considerably nicer than the rest of the girls, in a far corner. Chisom explains that her madam doesn’t usually come to this church, and that they were both confused when Chisom wasn’t allowed to sit with her. Adunni asks Chisom why her madam is so kind to her, and Chisom explains that they “take care of” each other, behaving like sisters and sharing secrets, which is practically unheard of for madams and housemaids.
Adunni’s moment of silent connection with the other housemaid illustrates the bond they share in being denied comfort, respect, and acceptance because of their lower social status, gender, and lack of education. Chisom, apparently, is the exception to this rule, though Caroline’s good treatment of Chisom seems to be entirely conditional: Caroline treats Chisom well, but only because Chisom keeps her secrets.
Themes
Adunni asks Chisom to clarify what she meant the other day when she said that Rebecca was “getting fat.” The pastor enters the room, cutting Chisom’s story short, though she quickly explains that Rebecca told her that she was happy because she was getting married, and that she disappeared shortly after saying so. The pastor starts the service before Chisom can say who Rebecca was supposed to marry, and Chisom’s madam, Caroline, brings her to the big auditorium midway through the service.
Chisom’s admission complicates what Adunni already knows about Rebecca’s disappearance. From this new information, it seems that Rebecca really did have a boyfriend, though who he is—and whether Rebecca is with him now—remains unknown. Chisom’s arrangement with Caroline grants her the special privilege of attending the church service in the main auditorium with all the wealthy attendees.
Themes
Big Daddy sleeps in the car on the way back from the service. When they arrive home, Adunni remains in the car, contemplating this new development in the Rebecca story. She begins to question why everybody has acted as though something bad happened to Rebecca who, apparently, had been happily engaged to be married. Adunni shifts her thoughts away from Rebecca to consider the many wounds her body bares from Big Madam’s beatings and wonders how she will make it to the end of the month, when she is due to find out about the scholarship results. She doesn’t know if she will be allowed to go to school if she wins.
Despite the many unhappy marriages Adunni has seen over the course of her young life, she still seems to connect marriage to happiness, which is why she decides Rebecca might be okay. Adunni’s assumption speaks to the power of social norms, as well as how unbearable it is to work for Big Madam; to Adunni, running away to be married seems like paradise compared to being Big Madam’s housemaid. Thinking about the scholarship contributes to Adunni’s anxiety because she sees it as her only path toward freedom. This moment also carves out what seems to be the major difference between Adunni and Rebecca: while Rebecca (apparently) reached her freedom with the help of a man, Adunni wants to earn hers on her own.
Themes
As Adunni begins to cry, Abu, who she’d forgotten was still in the car, asks her what’s wrong. Adunni mentions everything that’s been running through her mind, including her past worries about Rebecca. Abu looks around to make sure that nobody is listening and tells Adunni that he has something to show her—something that he found in the car after Rebecca vanished. They make plans to meet up when Big Daddy is not around. Adunni exits the car and receives a text from Ms. Tia informing her that she will be back in Lagos tomorrow, and that Big Madam will allow them to get together, which is when she will have her “bath.”
Abu’s admission about something mysterious he found in the car after Rebecca disappeared might bring Adunni closer to uncovering the mystery of Rebecca’s disappearance and symbolically restoring Rebecca’s voice. His grim composure suggests that perhaps Chisom’s theory about Rebecca running away to get married isn’t what really happened—perhaps Rebecca never earned her freedom, after all. Abu’s stipulation that he and Adunni must meet up when Big Daddy is not around implies that Big Daddy would be upset about whatever Abu has to show Adunni, which suggests that Big Daddy might have something to do with Rebecca’s disappearance.
Themes
