Do Jaja’s upcoming release from prison and the death of the Head of State both represent hope for the family and for Nigeria? Or do these events represent a false hope that has been a part of the Achike family for most of their lives?

I don't believe that things have changed. People are just too tired and defeated to speak. Mama is silent now, wracked with grief. She has tried to tell everyone that she is to blame for the murder, but her confession has fallen on deaf ears. She speaks with Papa’s money in the form of bribes for the prison guard and lawyers who participate in the corrupt system. They no longer speak out against the same system the Standard would criticize. In her home, Mama does not speak. Kambili respects her silence, knowing that, as before, some truths cannot be spoken. Before, the silence was a necessity to maintain Papa’s image. Now, the silence is self-preservation. Jaja no longer speaks with his eyes. Hardened by his brutal experiences in prison, he has learned to shut the vulnerable parts of himself away. He cannot take comfort in Kambili or else the house of cards he has built that enables him to live through prison will tumble down, like Mama’s figurines.