Chapter 36: chapter III – Ebun’s Unease with Eniiyi
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot. This summary and analysis contains full details from Chapter 36 of Cursed Daughters. If you have not read the chapter, proceed with caution.
Summary
Eniiyi, now three years old, increasingly resembles Monife. Ebun watches her daughter’s hair, long legs, left‑handedness and especially her “knowing” eyes with deep discomfort. She hands Eniiyi to her aunt more often, blaming work for her irritability. One evening Ebun returns home and finds the family in the west living room: her mother watching wrestling, Aunty Bunmi reading, and Eniiyi drawing on the floor beside the dog Sango. When Ebun sits down, Eniiyi excitedly recounts her day. Aunty Bunmi scolds Eniiyi for using her left hand to pass the drawing, claiming it is unclean. Ebun snaps, insisting her daughter may use whichever hand she prefers. After a tense silence, Eniiyi shows Ebun her drawing: two figures, one with squiggly lines and one without, labelled “small me” and “big me.” Ebun, disturbed, tears the paper before she consciously chooses to. Eniiyi cries; Ebun’s mother calls her name, but Ebun leaves the torn pieces on the floor.
Key Events
- Ebun returns home late from work and joins her mother, Aunty Bunmi, and Eniiyi in the west living room.
- Eniiyi runs to Ebun and recounts her day.
- Aunty Bunmi corrects Eniiyi for using her left hand; Ebun angrily defends her daughter’s right to choose.
- Eniiyi offers her drawing, showing two identical figures labelled “small me” and “big me.”
- Ebun, visibly shaken, tears the drawing into pieces.
- Eniiyi cries; Ebun’s mother (Kemi) calls out, but Ebun walks away without explanation.
Character Development
- Ebun: Her protectiveness toward Eniiyi is sharpened in this chapter. She confronts her aunt’s old‑fashioned belief about left‑handedness, asserting her authority as Eniiyi’s mother. Yet she remains emotionally fragile, especially regarding anything that reminds her of Monife. Tearing the drawing shows she is still unable to confront the possibility that Monife’s spirit may be influencing Eniiyi.
- Eniiyi: The three‑year‑old shows remarkable emotional intelligence, peace‑keeping between adults. Her drawing of “small me and big me” hints at a dual identity, possibly connected to Monife.
- Aunty Bunmi: She clings to traditional superstitions (left hand is unclean) and tries to impose them on Eniiyi, revealing generational differences in child‑rearing.
- Ebun’s mother (Kemi): She sides with her sister, scolding Ebun for her outburst, but later becomes concerned when Ebun behaves erratically.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here
- The ghost of Monife: Eniiyi’s physical and behavioural resemblance to Monife, and Ebun’s discomfort with the child’s “knowing” eyes, suggest Monife’s presence lingers. The drawing of two selves could be read as Eniiyi being both herself and Monife.
- Motherhood and anxiety: Ebun’s conflicted feelings toward Eniiyi—love mixed with fear and avoidance—explore the tension between nurturing a child and fearing what that child represents.
- Superstition versus modernity: Aunty Bunmi’s insistence on using the right hand clashes with Ebun’s modern, secular approach. This generational conflict is a recurring thread.
- The act of tearing: Ebun destroys the drawing impulsively, symbolising her refusal to acknowledge the unsettling truth it may reveal.
- Eyes as windows: Ebun notes that Eniiyi’s eyes are “starless and knowing,” implying they belong to someone who has experienced sorrow, likely Monife.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 36 is pivotal because it forces Ebun—and the reader—to confront the possibility that Monife has not fully left. Eniiyi’s behaviour and artwork suggest she may be aware of a dual identity, and Ebun’s violent reaction to the drawing signals that her denial is cracking. The chapter also establishes Ebun’s assertiveness as a mother, while reminding us of the cultural pressures she must navigate. It sets up future conflicts, both with her family and with the unresolved supernatural thread of Monife’s death.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ebun object so strongly to Aunty Bunmi correcting Eniiyi’s left‑hand use?
Ebun rejects the superstition that the left hand is unclean. She wants Eniiyi to grow up without the trauma of being forced to change her dominant hand, and she asserts her authority as the child’s mother to decide how Eniiyi is raised.
2. What might Eniiyi’s drawing of “small me and big me” signify?
The drawing likely represents two aspects of Eniiyi’s identity: her young self and an older, perhaps more knowing self linked to Monife. The squiggly lines on one figure may indicate a distinction (e.g., curls of hair) that Ebun finds deeply troubling because it suggests Monife’s presence.
3. Why does Ebun tear the drawing instead of explaining her reaction?
Ebun is overwhelmed by the fear that her daughter is somehow connected to Monife. She cannot articulate that fear, so she destroys the evidence. The impulsive tear reflects her inability to face the possibility that Monife’s spirit has entered her child, and her guilt about that suspicion.