Ezinma (pronounced Eh-zeen-mah) is the eldest surviving daughter of Okonkwo and his second wife, Ekwefi. Ezinma is bright, intellectual, and above all one of the few people to understand Okonkwo and his attitude. Okonkwo believes she is a male spirit trapped within a female body given how in tune she is with him. She demonstrates this through choosing to marry back in Umuofia rather than in the tribe of Okonkwo’s exile, as this would please Okonkwo’s desire to make a grand entrance back in his home tribe. Despite this, Okonkwo is never open about his affection with her, but we are privy to his internal dialogue of pride that he feels around her. Ezinma also has a very unique relationship with her mother Ekwefi. Ezinma is Ekwefi’s only surviving child out of ten and as such, Ekwefi treats her more as an equal, evident in how they address one other on a first name basis.
