Ethiopia Lilly

Throughout this novel the protagonist, Lilly develops as a character with some differences and similarities in both Ethiopia and in London. In Ethiopia Lilly begins her journey to Harar as a naïve, innocent girls and through religious and social influences is forced to find herself once she is left with nothing but her religion. After her arrival at the shrine in Harar did not go as planned Lilly is scared, hopeless and alone: “I wanted to disappear, to blend into the stench in the air, melt into the high white walls of the compounds that flanked us on each side, be an observer, not the observed” (51). However she holds onto the one thing she loves and cherishes the most, her religion. Through prayer and showing the others around her that she is much more than just a “white Muslim”, Lilly finds the strength and faith to invest …show more content…
He was fuming, about to erupt. ‘Only God can judge what is in another person’s heart,’” (211). Originally Lilly was frightened and accepting to the fact that Muslim’s would discriminate her because she was a foreigner but as she grows into a young woman she develops the confidence to speak her mind and prove others wrong about their stereotyping. While living as a refugee in London, Lilly begins this journey similar to how she was when she was first rejected from the shrine in Harar. Although surrounded by the positive and empathetic Amina, all Lilly wants to do is blend into the city she lives in, hiding her past from others. She is depressed, angry and secluded from life and sometimes even her religion, as she considers herself to be forever broken: ““But you know so little about