Birdsong

The narrator’s lover often refers to his and the narrator’s uniqueness in relation to other men and women (e.g., “I knew you were different!” [Paragraph 10]; “I’m not like other men” [Paragraph 5]). How would his views on other men, himself, and the narrator reinforce gender expectations in Lagos society? Use examples from the text to support your view.

Nature works as a motif in the story. From the narrator’s description of her lover’s house to the text's title, nature seems to be omnipresent within the narrative. Describe the roles nature plays in “Birdsong.” Why do these roles matter in a story about a woman’s relationship with her lover?

In Paragraph 4, the narrator hears a conversation about Yewande and Ekaete’s progress in finding someone to marry. In what way(s) does this conversation contribute to the main interpersonal conflict in the text? What can be gleaned from this conversation about the broader sociocultural pressures in Lagos?