46 pages • 1 hour read
Ben OkriIn the Shadow of War
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1983A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Character Analysis
Omovo
Omovo is the main character of “In the Shadow of War,” though as an observer rather than the story’s narrator. He is a young Nigerian boy who lives with his father in an unnamed village and curiously watches passersby from his windowsill. He is young enough that his father believes Omovo should not be listening to the news of war on the radio (4), and though he does not fully comprehend the significance of the news (6), he is witness to the devastation and effects the civil war has on his village (6-7). The veiled woman intrigues him and he does not overtly judge her or fear her the way other children in the village do (4-5). Even when the soldiers at the bar tell Omovo she is an enemy spy, he does not unequivocally believe them; he is determined to discover the truth for himself.
Even as a young child, Omovo learns the ambiguous and complicated nature of morality, especially during times of war. Despite the soldiers’ commanding presence in the village, Omovo does not instinctively trust them: He does not tell them his real name and lies about having seen the veiled woman (5). Turning down the soldiers’ money in return for information suggests Omovo feels some allegiance to the woman and refuses the money on principle, even though his family has little means. By following the woman, Omovo learns she has been aiding an encampment of impoverished women and children—a stark contrast to the soldiers’ belief that she is a spy or witch. Without understanding the weight of political allegiances during a civil war, Omovo views her murder as fundamentally unjust, proven by his attempt to explain to his father what happened though the soldiers are present. His father’s disbelief and deferential attitude are a lesson in loyalty and obedience to those in power regardless of their actions.
Omovo’s Father
Omovo’s father is described in little detail and is only present in the very beginning and end of the story. He is the only one of Omovo’s family members mentioned, but no family history is given. Omovo’s father feels bitter about the ongoing civil war (4) but continues to listen to news reports of it on the radio. He is presumably a working man, taking the bus into town. They have little means, suggested by their second-hand possessions and the ill-fitting, “shabby” coat he wears to work, yet he still gives Omovo a small allowance (3-4). He is a pious man, demonstrated by his offering and prayers to his ancestors before leaving the house (4).
At the end of the story, Omovo finds his father drinking with the three soldiers and desperately tries to explain what he witnessed in the forest. His father insists Omovo thank them for bringing him back, and “[smiles] apologetically” (9) at them before returning Omovo to bed. His deference to the soldiers could indicate his loyalty to the military’s side of the war; however, it might also be a survival tactic. As an adult, Omovo’s father understands the complications and nuances of wartime politics and recognizes the power the soldiers hold over his family. Though Omovo is too young to understand the underlying reasons for his father’s dismissal, his father might be appeasing the soldiers to protect him: Knowing that supporting Omovo’s account of the night’s horrors could put their lives at risk, Omovo’s father’s utmost loyalty is actually with his son.
The Soldiers
The three soldiers Omovo observes are not described in great detail other than one being identified as “the fat soldier” and another as “the bare-chested” one after he removes his uniform top (8). They ask Omovo’s name, but do not introduce themselves; their anonymity adds to the unified and impersonal presence of the Nigerian military. They are a dominating force in the village, disrupting the animals as they walk to the bar (3) and using money to bribe the local children for information (4). Okri does not favorably characterize these soldiers; they spend the day drinking palm-wine and playing draughts, relying on the child informants rather than looking for answers themselves. Omovo neither admires nor resents them, but does not inherently trust the soldiers, demonstrated by the lies he tells them.
The soldiers believe the veiled woman is an enemy spy, and when confronting her, they accuse her of being a witch. They humiliate and abuse her, and when she stands up to them, one soldier shoots her. Having witnessed this, Omovo learns that morality is ambiguous, if not absent, during times of war—Omovo sees that even those tasked with upholding law and order are capable of senseless violence.
The Veiled Woman
Omovo notices “a strange woman with a black veil over her head” passing through the village and into the nearby forest every day for a week (3-4). Other children who have seen her rumor that she is a witch, claiming “she had no shadow,” and “that her feet never touched the ground” (5). The soldiers at the village bar explain to Omovo that the woman is an enemy spy; they have been bribing the local children for any sightings of her. By secretly following the woman into the forest, Omovo learns she is aiding an encampment of impoverished and malnourished women and children, presumably bringing them baskets of supplies (7). That night he also sees that under her veil, the woman’s head and face are disfigured, suggesting she survived a brutal injury. Her desire to help those in the encampment and unwillingness to cooperate with the soldiers suggest she feels an allegiance with the Biafrans—the secessionist side of the Nigerian civil war. Whether or not her aid to the camp was specifically political, her desire to help outweighed the risk of getting caught by the soldiers. The narrator does not confirm whether the soldier’s shot kills the woman, but the text does not suggest otherwise.
Throughout the story, her name and identity remain a mystery, leaving it to readers to decide who and what she really is. This ambiguity teaches Omovo that a person is not solely what others judge them to be, but the violence against her also underscores how cruel humans are during times of war.
