Symbolism In Binti By Nnedi Okorafor

Symbolism in Binti Not a lot of people pay attention to stop signs. That's how people get into wrecks. But, they should be paid attention to just like symbolism in books. In the book Binti many symbols are used to display the lessons that are being taught. A few of these symbols are the otjize, which she uses on her skin and hair, the astrolabe, which serves as her “identity”, and the edan, which gives Binti a sense of protection. In the sci-fi novella Binti, Nnedi Okorafor utilizes objects like the otjize, the astrolabe, and the edan to explore and showcase the themes of home and identity within oneself. One symbol that was very evident throughout the duration of the story Binti was the otjize which she used in her hair and on her skin.

When things would get scary or uncomfortable for Binti throughout the story she would always rely on her edan as something that she could fall back on. At one point in the story Binti is talking and says “ I held it to my chest, shut my eyes, and prayed to it, I am in your protection. Please protect me. I am in your protection. Please protect me” (Okorafor 24). Binti feels as though she needs to be protected by this piece of metal that she really does not even know what it is because it it the only thing in her hectic life that seems semi normal.Another reason why the edan is an important symbol is because it helps her to communicate with the other people and species on the ship. In the book, Okwu is trying to talk to Binti and she says “My hands began to shake, but I did not drop my edan. It was warm and a brilliant blue light was glowing from within it now” (Okorafor 40). This quote shows how the edan is necessary for the meduse and Binti to communicate because they are not the same species, Binti is human and the meduse are some kind of alien creature. All of this being said, protection is something that feels necessary in our lives and there is no exception to that rule for Binti and the other characters in the

The otjize was an important symbol, because it showed the reader the importance of standing firm in one’s identity and it also shows how important and impact home is in the lives of many people. The astrolabe was significant to the story in many ways. One of those being how it held her identity, yet she did not let the be the only thing that defined her throughout the book, she let her personality shine through which in the end, is how she became friends with the meduse. The last symbol that was seen to carry significance was the edan. The item symbolized how important protection was to Binti and in her life. Because of her longing for protection, she went as far as doing something her people would never allow to feel safe. Symbolism is not only seen many times throughout the story of Binti but is also extremely prevalent in everyday life. Always be on the lookout for symbols in life, because they could teach many things that might not have been known if they were not looked