Chapter summaries Cursed Daughters Oyinkan Braithwaite

Chapter 27: Chapter V Summary & Analysis – Dreaming of Monife

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Eniiyi dreams of her aunt Monife for the first time in roughly six years. In the dream, Monife stands at the shoreline, her back to the ocean, her hair wild and her feet drawing circles in the sand. Eniiyi recognises that she is dreaming. She approaches her aunt and speaks aloud, but Monife never responds – she has never spoken or acknowledged Eniiyi’s presence in any previous dream. Eniiyi recalls that she once asked Monife questions about unfinished business, haunting, and whether she was a ghost, but she eventually gave up trying to converse. When she was younger, Eniiyi chose not to tell her mother or grandmother about these dreams because she understood the heavy significance they would attach to visions. The dreams stopped after Eniiyi left home for boarding school. Now Monife has returned, and the reappearance unsettles Eniiyi. She tries to rationalise the experience as an overactive imagination rather than a genuine spiritual crossing, yet the dream setting is vivid – wind, seagulls, cold water. She eventually sits on the sand and waits for the moment she will wake up.

Key Events

Eniiyi dreams of her aunt Monife after a six‑year gap.
The setting is a beach at the edge of the ocean.
Monife is depicted as tangible and alive, her hair like a lion’s mane.
Eniiyi speaks to Monife but receives no reply, as in all previous dreams.
The narrative recounts Eniiyi’s earlier attempts to question Monife and her decision to stop asking.
Eniiyi reflects on why she never told her mother or grandmother about the dreams.
The chapter notes that the dreams ceased when Eniiyi left for boarding school.
Monife’s return makes Eniiyi feel unsteady.
Eniiyi considers the possibility that she is only imagining the encounter.
She sits on the sand and waits to wake up.

Character Development

Eniiyi – This chapter deepens our understanding of Eniiyi’s internal world. Her relationship with Monife is defined by silence and absence. She once sought answers but eventually gave up, a choice that suggests resignation or self‑protection. Her decision to hide the dreams from her mother and grandmother shows she is aware of the weight they carry within her family. The return of the dream after years of dormancy introduces a renewed layer of anxiety, hinting that unresolved matters connected to Monife may be surfacing.
Monife – Although she does not speak or move except for drawing circles in the sand, Monife’s symbolic presence is powerful. She appears as both faceless and as Eniiyi’s mirror‑image in different dreams, blurring the line between separate identity and projection. Her consistent silence makes her a figure of mystery and unfinished business.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Dreams as spiritual communication – The chapter deliberately leaves open whether the dream is a psychological event or a genuine meeting in the spiritual realm. Eniiyi’s rationalisation contrasts with the older women’s belief in the significance of visions.
Silence and the unspeakable – Monife’s refusal to speak mirrors the family’s reluctance to discuss certain truths. The aunt’s silence amplifies the mystery surrounding her death and her connection to Eniiyi.
The ocean as a liminal space – The beach setting, where sand meets sea, is a classic boundary between the known and the unknown. It reinforces the idea that Eniiyi is crossing into a space between life and death.
Mother‑daughter legacy – Eniiyi’s choice to hide the dreams from her mother and grandmother underscores the generational pattern of withholding painful or powerful knowledge.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 27 re‑introduces Monife into Eniiyi’s internal life after a prolonged absence. It establishes that the dreams are not merely a childhood phenomenon but a recurring, unresolved thread. The chapter deepens the novel’s exploration of how the past intrudes on the present and how silence shapes family dynamics. It also prepares the reader for potential revelations about Monife’s life and death, suggesting that Eniiyi may soon be forced to confront what the dreams mean. In the broader arc of the book, this dream sequence acts as a catalyst for Eniiyi’s coming‑of‑age and her gradual unraveling of family secrets.

Study Questions & Answers

Why did Eniiyi stop telling her mother and grandmother about the dreams of Monife?
Eniiyi understood that the older women placed heavy significance on visions. She chose not to burden them or invite their interpretations, likely because she wanted to avoid the emotional weight that such discussions would carry.
What might Monife’s silence in the dream signify?
Monife’s silence could represent unresolved trauma or secrets that cannot be put into words. It may also suggest that Eniiyi must find her own answers rather than receive them from beyond. The lack of dialogue keeps Monife an enigmatic figure whose story has yet to be fully revealed.
How does the setting of the beach contribute to the mood of the chapter?
The beach is both beautiful and uneasy – the gentle caress of the wind, seagulls, and cold water create a sensory threshold. It mirrors Eniiyi’s liminal state between sleep and wakefulness, and between the living world and any possible spiritual realm. The setting reinforces the dream’s vividness while reminding the reader that it may be entirely imagined.