Adeyemi First Third- Reflection

 Ruth Owusu

 Dr. Ellis

 Postcolonial Literature 

 October 16, 2023 

For the Good, it's a Gift; for the bad, it's a Curse.  

    "A gift misused or misplaced in the hands of the wrong person is a curse." This quote is often mentioned by the elderly and can be attributed to its literal application in the character development between Zélie and Inan. Adeyemi shows the reader from the start of the gifting of Zélie. Zélie is a maji who possesses magic inherited from the matrilineal lineage of her mother, who was a Reaper: one of the 10 clans in Orisha. Under the instruction of Mama Agba, Zélie has been taught the sacredness and beauty of her ability to possess and harness magic. This was manifested when she touched the parchment that was retrieved from Princess Amari, and it was said: "The strange sensation buzzes beneath my skin, foreign yet familiar at the same exact time. It rumbles in my core, warming me from the inside out..." (Adeyemi, 77). This parchment would be the signifying marker of the restoration of magic for all majis in Orisha. 

    This is opposite to Prince Inan, who it was not revealed till much later in the book of his possession of magic. Inan is the son of King Saran, the King who began the Raid that destroyed the usage of magic for majis and diviners. In categorizing Prince Inan, he belongs to the Koisdán who have brown hair and do not have the defining features of white hair that the maji possess. However, Adeyemi shares to the reader the biggest plot twist, so far, when it is revealed to Zélie in a dream of Inan's secret. Although Inan was a Koisdán, he too possessed magic and appeared to have a white streak in his hair. Unbeknownst to him, when magic began to manifest itself in him, he explained "My stomach twists in knots. I rake my nails over my tingling arms. I have to get this virus out of me. I need to rip the treacherous sensation from my skin" (Adeyemi, 104). This same feeling continues for Inan anytime he feels the power of magic rising in him, he associates it with a curse; which is the complete opposite of how Zélie associates magic too. For Inan, magic was not seen as beautiful or sacred, it was a threat and a curse to the throne. He was taught since birth to hate magic and kill it. But how can he fully destroy those who possess magic such as Zélie, when he too carries the same powers- the irony of it all. 

    With magic, what was seen as a gift for Zélie was a curse for Prince Inan. Adeyemi appears to be showing the reader, how although these individuals have completely different upbringings, there seems to be one thing that connects them: magic. Zélie wishes to use her power of magic to save her people, the majis and diviners, and overall, the entire people of Orisha. This is opposite to Inan, who wishes to use his power of magic to solely kill Zélie because in killing Zélie, he believes it will kill magic. In every life, there is a little bit of truth, so I am very curious as to how the storyline of both Zélie and Inan play out in the continuation of the book. 

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