Essay Questions

Is courage emerging as one of the key themes in ‘Zahrah the Windseeker’ by Nnedi Okorafor?

The author explores the issue of courage in depth throughout the text, and it emerges as one of the main themes in the book. The protagonist, Zahrah, is a daring girl who takes a risky decision to help her friend, Dari when a venomous snake bites her in the Forbidden Green Jungle. Everyone fears the jungle because it has noxious snakes and other creatures. Therefore, people are scared to rescue Dari because they will expose their lives to danger. However, Zahrah is bold enough to enter the jungle and rescue her friend. While inside the jungle, Zahrah realizes it is full of precarious fantastical plants and creatures, but that does not scare her from achieving her mission to save her friend. Towards the end, Zahrah manages to rescue her friend, and that is a demonstration of great courage.

What is the symbolic meaning of Zahrah’s hair?

Zahrah’s hair is interwoven with living vines to symbolize magical power within her. Zahrah has been unique since childhood because she stands out whenever she interacts with other children. Later in life, Zahrah realizes that her hair is supernatural, and she slowly learns how to use that authority to her advantage. For instance, while rescuing her friend from the dangerous jungle, her interwoven air converts to mysterious wings, which help her fly to avoid being hurt by the dangerous creatures and fantastical plants. However, people around her think she is a witch, and to avoid ridicule, she hides her dreadlocks under clothes.

Why are people having negative feelings about Zahrah?

Zahrah is famously called a 'dada' by the locals because she was born different, and people believe she is a curse, a trouble maker, and bad luck to the community. Many false superstitious stories about the dada are passed from one generation to the other. On the contrary, Zahrah is a girl who grows up being a blessing to her family and friends around her because she uses her magical power to help people get out of trouble.