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.
Essay Topics
Okri makes the conscious choice to omit various details about the characters. How does this ambiguity affect the story and the conclusions readers may draw?
Why might Omovo feel so intrigued by the veiled woman? Why does he not fear her the way other children do?
How does Okri’s incorporation of supernatural elements call into question the veracity of what happens in the forest?
What is the significance of the story’s title? Who or what is in the shadow of war?
Is there any evidence to support the assertion that the veiled woman might be a witch? In a country where a variety of belief systems incorporate elements of the supernatural, how does this rumor serve the soldiers?
Compare and contrast two characters’ interactions. Does one act with a greater sense of morality or integrity and if so, why?
What are the ways Omovo’s understanding of the civil war changes over the course of the story?
As a child, is Omovo a reliable character to follow? How might the night’s events differ had the perspective been from the soldiers or the veiled woman—or even a nameless, omniscient narrator?
Some objects in the story are described with certain reverence. What do they signify to the people who use them?
In what ways has Omovo grown up by the end of the story and in what ways does he remain a child?
