Essay Questions

How is Azaro causing discomfort to his parents?

Every parent is looking forward to raising a spirit-free child. However, this is not the case for Azaro’s parents. Azaro is a different kind of child because he is troublesome due to his mental illness. Neighbors are not comfortable with Azaro because he makes fun of older people and causes massive disturbances. Azaro’s condition has put his parents in a hard place because there is pressure from neighbors that they should vacate and look for another place to live. The landlord is charging the family more rent than other tenants because he argues that Azaro is causing disturbance to neighbors. However, it is not justifiable for the property owner to overcharge the family. This is a natural problem that no one wishes to find himself in.

What is the irony of Azaro’s father?

Azaro's father is aware that his son is born a spirit child. However, he does little to better his situation. The child needs fatherly love and guidance but the father does the absolute opposite. The father is a drunkard and fails to offer psychological support to his child. Ironically, Azaro is abused by the father who is supposed to show love. Azaro's condition can be made better if he is shown love and given mental help.

Why is Okri referring to Azaro’s father as a spiritual conqueror?

Azaro's father is a dreamer and he believes that he can be the best boxer in the world. However, he is also fighting with spirits and it turns out to be satirical that he depends on Azaro for interpretation. Azaro teaches him how to fight spirits and he translates this during his boxing competitions. He emerges as the best boxer and suddenly he gains the respect of the entire village because everyone is seeing him as a champion. Hence, Okri concludes that Azaro's father is a spiritual concurred because he can win his competitions just the way he concurs the spirits.