Characters

The main character in the story “Chinasa” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the unnamed narrator. She is a Nigerian woman who recounts a few events in her life during her war. The narrator is shown to be affected by the trauma of war.

In her account, the narrator focuses on her relationship with Chinasa, a young girl whom the narrator nurses after she is seriously injured by bombings. The narrator takes Chinasa in and the two develop a strong bond.

You can read a full characterization of the narrator and Chinasa in the following sections.

Extract

Here, you can read an extract from our study guide:

The narrator becomes very attached to Chinasa. She takes care of her and teaches her how to read, and eventually wishes to raise Chinasa as her daughter: “I wanted to take Chinasa back with me to my home, or whatever remained of my home in Enugu; I wanted her to become the daughter I would never have”. The narrator is heartbroken when Chinasa leaves, but supports her decision and even gives her money to help her. Years later, when she hears about Chinasa again, the narrator is very proud.

Even if the other women...