Efuru is the novel’s protagonist. She is the daughter of a respected family and is revered for her positive qualities, which include beauty, intelligence, and kindness. The opening chapter describes her as “remarkable.” She is around 18 when the novel begins.

Efuru is strong-willed. Though she respects Igbo traditions, she knows that there are certain lines she will not cross. For instance, she knows that some of the women who worship Uhamiri go into convulsions and speak in tongues, and she decides that she will not act like those women. After listening to Ossai and Ajanupu discuss their tragic marriages, Efuru decides that she will not suffer needlessly for the sake of a man. On the other hand, she completely accepts the practice of female circumcision and the need to be a wife and mother to fulfill her duties as a woman. As a wife, her behavior is beyond reproach. For example, she accepts Gilbert’s illegitimate child, arranges a second marriage for him when it becomes clear that she cannot bear more children, and does not question him about why he was in jail. Nwapa stacks the

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