Uwem Akpan's My Parents Bedroom

Uwem Akpan’s, My Parents Bedroom, is a tragic war story. The story really shows the devastating effect way war affects families.
The main character, Monique, who is nearly ten years old, gets sexually assaulted in her own house after finding a man standing nearly naked in her house. Monique’s father is outraged by this, and in turn becomes extremely protective of her. He tells her that he “won’t let anyone touch [her] again,” ( 336 ). Papa also gets upset very easily, and fast. “His eyes are blinking fast and his face is tight. When Papa gets quiet like this, he’s ready to pounce on anyone” ( 337 ). Essentially, Papa gets upset often - that’s how she knows to not bother him when he gets like that. He must get angry often enough for Monique to understand that he isn’t to be bothered. He also blames Monique for things that are not even her fault. “When he see’s Jean sleeping on the carpet by Maman’s feet, he puts the blame on me” ( 337 ). This simply shows how much stress he is under - his actions do not make sense. …show more content…
"Maman’s love for me is different. Sometimes she looks at [Monique] and becomes sad. She never likes going out in public with me, as she does with Jean. She’s always tense, as if a lion will leap out and eat us." ( 339 ). Ultimately, in the end, Maman is killed at the hands her husband, as he wielded a machete and put it in her head. She had told him to “be a man” ( 350 ). She accepted that she needed to die in order for Monique and Jean to live. Any mother would die for her children, but they would not imagine the situation to be as brutal as