Children of Blood and Bone- First Third

Lucy Marous

One aspect of the first third of Children of Blood and Bone that stood out to me was how much gender shaped the world of the novel. From using traditional gender stereotypes and the results of those, Adeyemi puts us into a world that, despite its magic, is not all that different from our own.

The first example we see of this is in the opening of the novel, when Mama Agba’s fighting classes use the traditionally feminine activity of sewing as their cover up: “What once resembled an arena now plays the convincing part of a seamstress’s shop” (Adeyemi 9). The choice to do so is interesting in that first, there is a necessity to cover up the fact that women are learning to fight. Defense being a gendered practice in this world sets up the patriarchal values that rule the world of the novel. Second, sewing being used as a cover up because it is feminine emphasizes the world’s logic that feminine things are unthreatening. By taking up this domestic task, these girls are no longer seen as a problem to the guards and even viewed as less than. This is emphasized by the guards thinking that they can take advantage of Mama Agba and calling Zelie a “Little girl.” The way we have historically viewed women is present in this novel as well our real world.

A bit further into the text, gender stereotypes around activity evolve into gender stereotypes about treatment. Despite the story taking place in a fantasy world, gender based violence still exists. When Zelie arrives to sell her fish, she is met with harassment from the guards: “What’s the goin’ rate for a maggot these days, Kayin? Two bronze pieces?” “It doesn’t keep the guards from pawing at us like animals” (Adeyemi 51). Despite no indication otherwise, because of Zelie’s position as a woman, the guards immediately assume that what she says she is there to sell is her body rather than her fish. 

As sad as it is to see, the gender politics in the story make sense. A lot of elements of the novel have their roots in fantasy tropes that are patriarchal in nature. Adeyemi’s introduction of these ideas in the first part of the novel excites me, as it indicates that she will turn them on their head in the rest of the story, allowing for a fantasy story that is unique, but also has a familiarity to it.

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