Okorafor - Lagoon Flashcards
Lagos is in
Nigeria. Taken from the Portugese who landed in 1472; Portugese word for Lagoon
The story opens with what animal
a blue gray aquatic predator who attacks a “snake” or perhaps a cable that oozes black. she used a spear. She remembers that she was a yellow monkey in a past life and wonders if she has died again. but didn’t - towards end of story we find out she is a swordfish
something tastes sweet and starts to
glow. animals converge on the area that looks like sand or a coral reef
first she sees a changing ctopus and then a
golden blob
her skin turns
golden
she asks to be bigger and turns from a swordfish
to a monster
1155pm jan 8 2010
adaora met two men
bar beach
was a mixing place; also where adaora met the men
6 12 1993 annulled 6 23
most democratic election in nigeria
adoara’s father killed in
bus botched robbery
what did her husband do
hit her;
she met 2 men
Anthony dey craze and a Agu a bloody military man then heard a boom
what hit the mans head
a bat from the ocean - water was approaching quickly
aman iman
water is life
creature walked out of water
naked woman with braids only word that would register was smoke - she dove back in
boy that saw was
mute and medically handicapped
other person who saw was Fisayo who thought the smoke was a
shape shiter- didn’t see the bat saw it as poison; saw the fist of water as satan; became a prophet of doom in Lagos
adaora awoke to on the beach seemed
alien and like a black spider; chris would call her a marine witch who could harness water
adaora decided to take the woman
home to scare Chris and to her basement lab to run tests; her name was Miri
instead of calling her MIri she called her
Ayodele after a childhood friend and to scare Chris more
soldiers name
Agu
what did Athony have to do when he was under water
answer 1000 questions
Chris job
accountant for an international textile company
Chris surprised her
with a basement lab
what happened in their marriage
children, stress, travel, mother-in-law, plane flight, born again, fasting
adaora job
professor at UNILAG
Anthony wore a
veil
whtat did adaora do back at the lab
get a cheek swab from ayodele
under the sea what happened to adaora
they changed her back and knew what to give her to terrify her husband
what did the sample show
tiny balls ; metal like balls not cellular metals
extraterrestrial meteorites had fallen
in nigeria
agus face was punched by
his comrades; adaora knew this because she eavesdropped on his phone call in the car;he told his family to go hide as some were coming for them
why were they coming after agus family
he stopped one of them from raping a woman
TURNED ON TV AND SAW
AGU’S SUPERIOR WHO IS ALSO THE PRESIDENT’S NEPHEW
pHILOMENA
HOUSEGiRL aka philo
CHRIS STARTED A FIGHT AND THEN THERE WAS A LARGE SCREECH AND THEN
AYODELE TURNED INTO A COPY OF CHRIS
CHRIS THOUGHT HIS WIFE
POISONED HIM AND HE WAS HALLUCINATING
chris compared lagos to a
big zoo contained by lots of gates
chris went to see
Father oke
his wifes career
ocean biologist
Father said women are
weak vessels who could not change if they tried
father thought chris was
fasting too much and said he would come check it out tomorrow
adaora pulled out her
video camera that worked when it was plugged in. she was going to tape ayodele; ayodele’s eyes looked alien;
ayodele said she was
an alien, an ambassador, communicated with those in waters first
adaora asked ayodele
if she can die; ayodele would not answer but she did admit that she brought the three together and said there were many more aliens
the aliens live in
lagos and the water around them
aHMED uBANgiji
muslim gateman two wives 5 children
priest car
Mercedes and bmw
the aliens and ship were
communicating with the water
how does adaora deal with father oke
she takes him on and says she saw his email telling her to hit him
father oke talked with ayodele and asked her to show him her powers and then
the sound of metal balls - she turned nto an old woman; turned into father’s mother and explained she was an alien
father oke tried to turn the witchhunt into a
baptism
Philos boyfriend
Moziz a struggling medical student (changed spelling because he thought it sounded cooler)
slang
pidgin english
where did alien ship land
Bar Beach. lagos, nigeria
ayodele told the 3 that
adoara will understand water, agu needed new people to join army and had a relationship with president, Anthony is a rap star communicator – Anthony wanted no part of it ,,, all started to remember what they saw and heard under water
who left to find president
agu and adoara
what did moziz do before he let his friends watch the video on philos phone
share a joint so they would relax; he summoned them with urgent texts about money
moziz and father oke had what in common
liked to have people wrapped around finger
moziz underestimated ayodele because
she was in a female shape
why did the friends agree to help moziz
some liked the idea of kidnapping ayodele other didn’t want to cross moziz; Jacobs knew she wasn’t just a woman but wanted to get rich - Jacobs then send the footage to his own phone
the priest wanted to
use ayodele to gain more follwers and pwer
woman in church called herself a
WINCH (witch) for Jesus
the priest then
slapped her in the face; others clapped and cheered praise Jesus
then who spoke at pulpit
Chris about his wife
they thought the ocean would swell up and swallow
all of them because of the nonbeleivers that had taken over the country
what is 419
Nigerian Internet Crime
chris announced and father oke agreed that
visited by aliens, first of many and said he could handle witches they mean no harm but needed to be saved
the crowd was
afraid
someone started singing
crazy lady named “memory fulami” - everyone sang except chris
landed In lagos
less government, less order but vigorous life
chris used to work in
Germany
Adora used to teach in
Califorinia
Anthony trusted this music friend
Festus
way to draw a crowd at the house
Anthony free concert
the kids names
Kola and Fred who snuck down to see Ayodele
ayodele explained she was in human form becuasE
HUMANS HAVE A HARD TIME RELATING TO THINGS THAT DO NOT RESEMBLE THEMSELVES (cartoon example)
ayodele could speak any language if
she was close enough to someone who spoke it
the kids were concerned because the water was dirty from
oil spills and questioned if the aliens could die
what did ayodele say to philo
school will bring you more success than marriage; finish school and forget him
Jacobs wore
his favorite long black dress and high heels — one of moziz friend; not gay just liked clothes
Jacobs sister
fisayo
executive members of the black nexus lgbt student organizations
rome and seven
rome
tall lean easily passed as beautiful woman
seven
curves of goddess, bald head expressive eyes
fr oke gave a sermon
on homosexuality at Jacobs mothers request
Jacobs considered kidnapping to get
money for tuition to get out of his parents house
black nexus thought that a shapeshifter
would allow them to come out of hiding; embrace and love everyone; they wouldn’t be the only odd balls
like an old American movie
et
where was adoura driving to
agu’s barracks; shared a kiss in car, chris was following; knew she needed to be beaten; meanwhile adoura was upset
lance corporal benson attacked girl because of
weed
adoura and agu urged benson
to get his uncle the president involved even thogh he was ill
benson blamed the rape
on the girl and alcohol; had agu cuffed and beat him
president of Nigeria woke from
heart surgery in Saudi arabia
Nigerian vp
wishwell Williams degree in zoology
presidents first wife
zena
presidents second wife
hawra a lawyer
president wished he was home
drinking guiness and watching star wars
What did Festus put on social media
that Anthony would give a free concert if enough people showed up
what did philo say about ayodele
that she was evil and god will punish her
what music was moziz listening to in the car
Anthony de craze
who was with moziz
troy Jacobs and tolu in black masks
Jacobs was forgetting about
THE BLACK NEXUS
WHO WASNT CAUGHT UP IN MOMENT in moziz’s car
TROY who was thinking about his cousin inno /oregbemi who was raped by police; he wwould get money thrn handle that
Ayodele taught fred and kola how to use
a digital recorder
PHILO DID NOT TELL MOZIZ ABOUT
the crowd at the house – 200
adaoras view of Nigerian police
try to line their own pockets
who was in a silver mercedes
lt Benson and a lackey and adaora
adoara rec’d a call in the car
benson said it was was Anthony de craze and wanted to know who he was; he put the phone in his pocket and said maybe they should arrest him too
in moziz group –who walked into crowd to find out why the crowd was there
Jacobs who saw kids from school
what did Jacobs see
9 people with a rainbow procession from black nexus
the dancing black nexus
royal
leader of the black nexus procession
Rome
Jacobs has trouble deciding
sticking with Moziz or Black Nexus
what do Jacobs think when he heard about Anthony de craze
what doe he have to do with aliens and he returned to the car
black nexus came out and paraded because
everyone was vulnerable not just them anymore
what did moziz think about Anthony de craze
things had gotten too complicated
agu said this is the what time on his life things didn’t make sense
3rd
1- free meat leftover money
2 - 27 in sahara desert
now - speedboat in handcuffs
where was agus speedboat headed
to an off shore oil leak now deserted
two who held agu
private akunna and provate julius
oilworker on speedboat
biko aka igbo
engineer on speedboat
rafiu
sounds on speadboat
bubbling – then metal on glass sound from water
what was sound on speedboat
50 flying fish like human darts; something big then hit and they capsized; men hurt; then agu saw no more
benson was angry with adaora
that they told the whole world; he wanted to take alien to prison
what was going on in moziz car
tolu wanted girls, Jacobs wanted money and troy wanted to avenge his cousins rape
30 more people came up the road what were they doing
singing a Christian hymn
moziz decided to plan to reach the alien by
sneak in the back
under water agu held on to
manatee; agu was afraid that the aliens were not coming in peace; the manatee said you will see
how did moziz get in house
philo was at door
who waited in moziz car as getaway
troy
Christians were dressed
in white and fighting with black nexus
slow car in crowd was full of
newspaper people
moziz and co came in thru back door and ayodele started
talking in pidgin English and then turned into a lizard
as moziz chased ayodele
philo realized he was just another area boy
troy tried to shoot the lizard
and it ran out the frint door
Chris thought benson was
adoaras boyfriend and as chris was going to hit her there was the sound of metal balls he slammed her against face
did the lizard turn back into ayodele
yes in front of the crowd
ayodele asked kola
to keep filming her
what happened in the internet Cafe and on phones
ayodele took over screens
ayodele had seen lots of behaviors in 24 hours
this is life we love life
the president realized that
benson wwas telling the truth when his Nigerian phone turned on in Saudi arabia
second large boom bigger richer windows shattered bird fells to ground and on the beach
agu sat (think ayodele is evil) andnoticed a large animal on the beach possibly a whale
hundred of people walked out of ocean and
to bar beach. lagosians didn’t notice as they were too busy taking whale meat; they were dry and smelled of roses and sea weed
tarantula believes life is best
by embracing the changes that come along
the spider is certain he will make it a cross
crunch - crushed by adaoras car
why were thw homeless boys outside the house
to pick pockets and beg
homeless boy also saw alien
at bar beach
minty gum could make the homeless boy
speak; he was mute
someone hit the bishop with
a stone on the butt
somehing flew in opposite direction
soda/mineral; Coca Cola - hit agu but we don’t know that til later
the homeless boy inaled some sour air
there were shots and everyone was fighting or running
fisayo, Jacobs sisters jobs
secretary by day, prostitute by night
on the beach
fisyao was dressed modestly, boom, and grabbed onto the soldier then when soldiers wernet looking she ran to bar beach, wanted to be taken by ocean, still mute from boom, taken and then washed back ashorew
fisayo damaged
her wig
fisayo saw who on beach
agu but he was walking away
benson yelled to
shoot the alien while a mob descended on father oke
adoara opened gate becuase
kola was bleeding in the arm
adoydele
healed kola after she got back together
kola was shot
because she was standing next to ayodele
ayodele
started to disintegrate and then reformed
adoara noticed a change in ayodeles
eyes
ayodele turned the soldiers into raw meat and then
a plantain tree
we find out later that some of the bodies in the street were
from a fight with agu
as kolas arm got fixed she said it felt like
ants
what happened inside adoaras house with all the stuff going on outside
it was looted of televisions and computers and her lab was turned over
ayodele said
I hate humans and fred and Kola tried to explain that not all humans are bad
Anthony fed chris a
bowl of rice
as adoara watched her children sleep she noticed
she was hovering 3 inches above the ground
agu watched 100 well dressed zombie like people
walk out of the ocean dry and onto bar beach
agu saw what in the sky
a spacecraft as he heard the noises at adoaras house
agu had a cut in his
forehead
the only time before that agu saw such crowds
was in a riot up north between the Christians and the muslims
agu asked if he could borrow someone’s
cell phone to call his friends and the guy thought he must be an alien
what hit agus head
a coca cola bottle
agus plan b was to go to
eku hotel
who was working the eku hotel desk
agus cousin obi
when obi called and checked on agus parents
they said they were ok but there were soldiers outside
agu wanted obis laptip
to text anthony
ayodele then turned herself into
a small monkey
who was still in the front lawn
father oke and a group of 25 people
then who showed up in a cab
fisayo
chris told adoara he saw her
kiss a military guy
adoara wanted chris to
take the kids to his mothers gated community
chris yelled at fred becuase
he entered n adult conversation
adaora told chirs 3 things needed to get done
1) kids safe
2) get to agu
3) get ayodele to the president
what caused chris to be born again
a bad airplane ride
adaora told chris he was right that the worls was full of
mystery
after the kids left what happened at the house
a Molotov cocktail
who did ayodele day could see them
the elders in the sky – anthony felt that they were part of him now
Anthonys given name
edgar
after anthonys father died
the inlaws came and took stuff when his mom went to the store because they blamed her as a witch for his heart attack
when the relatives approached the house
edgar blocked the door, got angry and a huge gust knocked them and their cars over in red dust
when Anthony went outside to deal with father oke
he took his shoes off to stand on the earth; adaora came out holding the monkey (STOOD ON EARTH SO HE COULD USE HIS POWERS OF RHYTHM AND SONIC BOOM. ADOARA USED HER POWER EARLY WHEN SHE WAS FIGHTING WITH CHRIS)
ANTHONY used what to stop father okE
the rhythm - ayodeles people had used it twice to read the city - it knocked them all unconscious. they went back inside to get ready to leave when agu got there
they dropped troy off with
machete wielding cousins to avenge
Jacobs felt guilty
about leaving rome and the others; for the sake of chasiNg money
what did moziz car hit
a tall Woman stylishly dressed; her nose was caved in but she wAs still warm so Jacobs carried her into the car;
when agu was 12 and defended stick boy he
punched a boy who held him down and thought for a full two minutes that he had killed him
agu encounted a police and military guy and then
a group of area boys sliced a one of their shoulders and agu realized that it was an alien
when agu saw adaora
he hugged her
fisayo made a sign that said
repent the end is near and hung it around her neck
chris pulled over and picked up an
alien with white shoes who was getting harassed - named olawatusin - fred invited him to dinner; chris was not happy about that
when moziz drove by his apartment it
was on fire and his drunkneighbr was dancing in front of it
where did moziz decide to go after his house was on fire
Jacobs house
what did Jacobs woman alien want to be called
rain
why was Jacobs upset at his apartment
he left dresses out
what did moziz do to Jacobs when he found the dresses
shot him
what did rain do after moziz shot jacobs
exploded him into red mist
on the road congested with cars fisayo shot
the mute boy, others and then ayodele
what did ayodele do to fisayo
stretched her apart like a stretching photo into pixels; took her to the water that’s all she wanted like she begged for earlier
a man with a camera on the road
taped the mute boys death for all to see
where is Lagos Nigeria
in West Africa
because of digital devices the world is connected
like a spider web
name of cyber cafe
testament
what is 419
Nigerian Internet Fraud
who was the scammer in the café trying to scam
a racist white woman in a Nollywood scheme
what did the scammers see our the window
kids jumping on an SUV
what happened in the cafe
loud noise and collapse; a man in a caftan stood in the middle with his hands on his hips
what entered over the internet cafe
a masquerade; spinning; decorated, 40-50 people - it was ijele the chief of all masquerades came to the man in the caftan and the last computer working and then a third boom and then they went into the computer and all the emails were erased; things had changed
in one of the 1st person chapters the narrator thinks it wasnts aliens but
boku haram from the north making a play for lagos
why is the one expressway full of ghosts
a terrible bus incident
who warned the 1st person narrator to get off the road
an alien dressed like a Nollywood star and they ran into the grass where he had just seen the tarantula go
what did the alien say the road was turning into
a bone collector and she asked why the bone collector was doing this now? and she offered herself and said it would never eat again. it was change
where was Anthony de craze from
ghana
the third first person narrator was a
female american rapper who opened for anthiny de craze
who did the amerian rapper get questioned by
an old man named scratch (references to PapaLegba
where did the rapper see scratch again? on her way to the
airport he was dancing with church ladies
what did adoara eat to settle nauseousness
toothpaste
the last dive adoara did
she saw a mother drown her child
describe the president
looked like an old yam farmer – nickname baba go slow
ayodele quickly got out of the car to
speak to the president; she proved she was an alien turning into metal balls then into Karl Marx then back again
the president asked the alien what she wanted and she said
to have a home as they are technology; and he said he wanted to be alive
what happens to the bat caught up in the boom
it falls and then can see color not needing echolocation
what new feature did the bat have
a third eye
what did the bat get hit by
she thought a dragon but it was the presidents plane
while ayodele talked to the president where di the rest go
into the car
what did ayodele do to the president
healed him
the president said take me to your leader in
the water
the narrator made an analogy that he is a
spider weaving a story
who is the narrator of one of the short chapters
Udide, the narrator the story weaver the great spider who has lived beneath the city for centuries and did not see the aliens coming
zena was
jealous of the other wives and liked that he needed her becuase he was sick
the presidents third wife had
moved away
the presidents second wife was willing
to go with him to meet the aliens and always wanted to be a part of a big change
father oke could tell the aliens
from their lack of emotion and the way they carried themselves
father oke ran into a woman with
large boobs and large watches
what was weird about the glass building that father and the woman looked at
the city was breaking itself but not one pane was broken
mami wata
goddess of ocean witches; the woman was mami wata
father oke lived
in a metaphorical glass house while those around him lived in a ghetto; they went to the ocean; he was never seen again
the handsome reporters name
femi adewumi
ayodele said no to a woman reporter because
she couldn’t swim
adoara noticed something strange about the ocean in the boat
she could see clear down 13 meters
fish banged the boat as they traveled ayodele said
they are tired of people and boats but they do as they wish but they would be safe when they reached the ship
a 50 foot 3 tentatcled animal leaped over the boat
ayodele jumped out and said she would catch up
a swordfish rammed the boat and the president wife
fell over
hawra was ready to get eaten by an animal when
adoara knelt on the water and created a field (similar to when she fought with chris early in the book) and agu starting punching giant animals; then hawra got dragged under
agu was ready to die in the ocean when
Anthony jumoed in; anthony created a wave; all were safe the boat but had swallowed lots of ocean water
femi posted the video to
youtube
the president starting walking
on solid water away from the boat
adaora felt her neck
and had gills. she was 100 ft under water
the president was surrounded in a
an air bubble talking to 5 humanoids
adoara was turned into a
blue fish
adoara found agu and Anthony inside a
room sized bubble that she went into too fin and al lin a mermaid like body
Anthony called everything he learned from the elders by what name
rhythm and he now believed in GOd; he could create sonic booms
agu explained he had his powers
since he was 12 and defending stickboy; he could create force fields
adoara admitted she ws born with
webbed fingers and feet and that her legs were joind together and she could swim having never been taught; and now she found out she has super strength
what came and sat on the bubble
a mansion sized spider
then ayodele came and
took them to see the elders for thirty minutes but they would not remember
to swim outside the bubble
Anthony and agu had been given helmet like bubbles of air
hawra fanned adoaras fin and
it started to turn back into legs
the swordfish that spoke to hawra
sounded like greenpeace
where did the boat land
tin can island
as they got to the island they heard
gunshots
the president asked for
femi’s camera
adora saw them drag
a body out of the water at the dock to tin can island from a red tentactled animal
ayodele jumped in the water
to stop the parrot bracked red tentacle octopus
ayodele came our of the water
and was beaten and shot by the soldiers; adoara came to her side and put up a force field
ayodele had told adoara to cover her ears and then
Anthony and agu did the same and then adoara let down the force field
ayodele said
we are a collective; she exploded dead; and everyone was breathing her in
Anthony would go home to ghanas as the
elders has a plan for him there
agu wanted to
become a part of the new Nigeria and be with adoara
the people of the water would get rid of teh oil rigs
because they hurt the aquatic forests
in return for the loss of oil the elders would give nigeria
technology
the president said to broadcast not just to Lagos but to
all of Nigeria
outdated ways of thinking
don’t die easily or at all
new revenues were to come from
palm nuts and cocoa
adoara made a phone call
to her mother in law to make sure the kids were ok
who showed up in chris’ mothers kitchen
the Nollywood woman
the INternet café guy who spoke to Ijele
another 7 aliens came
he was open and curious
when chris heard adoaras name on tv
he was proud
a woman in Ghana got the
message on her cell phone too and wasn’t afradi
garden eggs taste like
sweet mangoes
femi drove
a Honda civic with a technology hidden drawer
femis youtube video was seen by
3 million
femi thought the real story was
ayodeles sacrifice
what animal continued to swim around the old oil line
a swordfish - she is the one who speared the line 3 times to make the dry creatures go away
the underground spiders name
udide okwanka
udides favorite child
the bone collector
udides cousins
legba and Ijele and Anansi
AGu adoara anthony
strong brave energetic
other parts of the world saw what was happening in lagos and
feared it (the back of the book says that they were collectively planning a nuclear attack but I didn’t read that anywhere in the book)
the spider said instead of narrating he would now
join the story
review pidgin English on page 295
xxx do not skip this!!!
three college students are in the last chapter they are in
chicago
the names of the three students
Shaquille Jordan and Nature
the title of the video
the president of Nigeria saved by witches and warlocks
how did the students feel about the Nigerians
not much - they enslaved their ancestors
what song did Shaq like
successful by Drake
naija is slang for
nigerian
why does the author hate witch slapping practices
because it is a perverted form of chrisitnaity that is teaching Nigerians to hate their own religions and traditions
aliens came and were searching for earthlings first they talked to
the first earthling they contacted was a swordifsh who is still an earthling even though not human (A SWORDFIH REALLY DID ATTACK A PIPELINE)
why did the author include the road monster
because the roads in Nigeria are unsafe and she saw a news story with a horrific accident
