Adeyemi Second Third- Reflection

 Ruth Owusu

 Dr. Ellis 

 Postcolonial Literature 

Inan: New Mission, Old Me, or vice versa? 

    Even in the second third of Adeyemi's book Children of Blood and Bone, the characters of Zélie and Inan are still attractive to me, and further development of their character is seen at play.

    From the beginning, Inan's mission had been to kill Zélie, and kill magic, and he believed this truth at his core that killing Zélie would inherently kill magic and therefore protect Orisha. Once Inan had finally caught up with Zélie in the forests, this would soon all change. In ten chapters: Chapters 39-48, Adeyemi writes out extensive details and conversations between Zélie and Inan, and the outcome of this mission. In Inan finally allowing himself to use his magic, as a Connector, he began to see her story play out, that her hatred and anger was towards the Orisha soldiers, not her anger on whatever his father was describing about majis. Inan was coming to the full realization of the truth and it felt like what was next for him.  

    We see a change of heart in Inan and he makes a decision that this generational curse in his family stop with him and that he will be a different king from his father. A king where in the new kingdom of Orisha both the royals and maji can co-exist and live peacefully together, like once before. Out of his heart posture, Inan's actions began to demonstrate this new change of action. Zélie is witnessing this by him sticking with her plan to get their siblings; his protection of Zélie from the Warri soldiers, etc. It is a shock for Zélie as it is for the audience, to ask the question of whether to believe in this new version of Inan or not. 

    This new version of Inan came when he manifested his magic and saw the true personhood of Zélie; however, his hatred of himself and his magic is still there although he is trying to convince himself otherwise (Adeyemi, Chapter 48). In the first half of Adeyemi, the vision that Zélie had with Inan's hand on her throat in anger and death still lingers in my mind; although it doesn't seem like him doing anything like that, I feel like one should give it some time. It just seems a little too fast or quick of conversion, and the skepticism of Zélie and Tzain is fair. Not to negate this change, I am happy that Inan is aware of his old mission, but a part of me can't help that this new mission that Inan is joining himself to with Zélie, Tzain, and Amari won't last long, given the vision of Zélie previously.  


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