102 pages 3 hours read

Nnedi Okorafor

Binti

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2015

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Character Analysis

Binti

By the end of the series, Binti’s full name has changed to become “Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka Meduse Enyi Zinariya New Fish of Namib” (331). Binti’s experiences have broadened her horizons beyond that of the Himba and have come to include the Meduse, the Enyi Zinariya, and New Fish. Binti’s journey as a student of Oomza University and a master harmonizer has made her entirely unique. Binti, who begins the series as a 16-year-old girl, is driven by her intellectual curiosity. Binti is passionate about discovering the truth of her edan and learning more about the universe around her. Although Binti loves her family dearly, throughout the series, she learns how to become her own home. Binti struggles with the labels that her family all place upon her, but she eventually learns to exist and thrive in multiplicity rather than in spite of it. 

Binti’s Father

The name of Binti’s father is Moaoogo Dambu Kaipka Okechukwu. Both Moaoogo and Binti are “old African dark” and have access to the zinariya. Moaoogo is Osemba’s master harmonizer and most prominent astrolabe maker and seller. He is ashamed of his Enyi Zinariya blood and is horrified when he discovers that Binti has awaked the nanoids inside of her.