Chapter 91: The Lizard’s Burial
⚠️ 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
In the oppressive heat, Mo’s dog Sango leads her to the courtyard where she discovers a lizard with a torn throat, clearly dying. She picks it up with shaking hands and holds it until it breathes its last. Unexpectedly, tears stream down her face, and she cannot explain why. She decides the lizard deserves a burial and asks her brother Tolu and cousin Ebun to join her. Tolu and Ebun initially balk at the idea, complaining about the heat and the absurdity of a funeral for a reptile. But when Mo insists, they reluctantly follow her to the iroko tree. She has already dug a small hole on the opposite side of the tree from where she buried gifts from her lover, Golden Boy. Mo places the lizard in the grave, recites a children’s prayer, and pats down the soil. Tolu applauds sarcastically and calls her a nutcase. Back in her bedroom, Mo washes the blood off her hands and sits on the toilet seat, staring at the green tiles.
## Key Events
* Sango leads Mo to a dying lizard in the courtyard.
* Mo holds the lizard until it dies, crying without understanding why.
* She decides to hold a burial and enlists Tolu and Ebun.
* Tolu and Ebun protest but eventually join her despite the heat.
* Mo buries the lizard under the iroko tree, opposite the gifts from Golden Boy.
* She recites a children’s prayer; Tolu applauds mockingly.
* Mo goes inside, washes blood from her hands, and sits alone in the bathroom.
## Character Development
**Mo:** This chapter reveals a surprising emotional vulnerability. Although she admits she is not usually sympathetic to animals, her tears over the lizard show a fragility likely stemming from her conflicted relationship with Golden Boy. Her insistence on a burial suggests a need for ritual and order amid inner chaos.
**Tolu and Ebun:** Both characters serve as foils to Mo’s emotional intensity. Tolu is blunt and dismissive, while Ebun is practical and focused on her studies. Their reluctant compliance underscores a family dynamic where Mo’s emotional needs, though viewed as eccentric, are ultimately accommodated.
**Sango:** The dog demonstrates sensitivity, guiding Mo to the dying creature and nudging it gently but not causing harm. Mo trusts Sango’s instincts, reflecting her bond with the animal.
**Golden Boy (mentioned):** His oscillating behavior – wanting Mo one moment and feeling his place is at home the next – is identified by Mo as a source of her emotional unrest.
## Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
* **Death and Ritual:** The burial of a lizard, a seemingly trivial creature, takes on profound significance. Mo’s ritualistic actions suggest a displacement of grief and a need to impose order on a world that feels chaotic.
* **Heat and Oppression:** The relentless, crackling heat mirrors the tension in Mo’s relationships and her own internal pressure. The uncomfortable setting heightens the sense of unease.
* **The Iroko Tree:** In Yoruba tradition, the iroko is a sacred tree. Mo buries the lizard on one side and her lover’s gifts on the other, linking death, secrecy, and emotional weight in a single location.
* **Blood and Washing:** After handling the dead lizard, Mo washes blood off her hands. This act may symbolize a desire to cleanse herself from the encounter with mortality or from guilt related to her relationship.
## Why This Chapter Matters
This short yet emotionally dense chapter offers crucial insight into Mo’s mental state. Her unexplained tears and insistence on a funeral for a lizard reveal a suppressed grief – likely tied to her turbulent relationship with Golden Boy and possibly to other losses. The family’s reluctant participation highlights the strain Mo’s emotional needs place on those around her. The burial by the iroko tree also introduces a motif of secret burial that may recur later in the novel. This chapter deepens the reader’s understanding of Mo as a character struggling with vulnerability and the need for closure.
## Study Questions and Answers
**1. Why does Mo cry when the lizard dies, even though she is not typically sympathetic to animals?**
Mo’s tears are likely a release of pent-up emotion from her unstable relationship with Golden Boy. The lizard’s helplessness triggers a displaced grief, allowing her to express feelings she cannot directly address.
**2. What does the burial scene reveal about Mo’s relationship with Tolu and Ebun?**
Tolu and Ebun initially refuse, finding the idea absurd in the heat. But when Mo insists, they comply. This shows that despite their resistance, they will ultimately support her emotional needs, though with visible reluctance.
**3. How does the iroko tree function symbolically in this chapter?**
The iroko tree serves as a repository for Mo’s secrets and emotions. She buries her lover’s gifts on one side and the lizard on the other, making it a physical marker of her hidden grief and conflicted attachments.
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