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Kambili’s older brother Jaja walks a thin line between wanting to please Papa as a dutiful son and serving as a scapegoat to protect his mother and sister from Papa’s violence. Jaja is a gifted student and mostly aims to satiate his father and avoid his wrath. He shows that he values his mother and sister’s safety over his own, though, as he often sacrifices himself to save them from physical abuse. Like Kambili, Jaja undergoes a transformation during his time with Aunty Ifeoma and his cousins in Nsukka, as he nurtures his leadership abilities into roles beyond buffer and scapegoat. Jaja displays a newfound sense of strength and resolve when he refuses to obey his father’s wishes on Palm Sunday, an act which sets into motion the crumbling of the family dynamic that has suffocated all but Papa. His bravery reinforces the path to freedom that his mother has secretly laid in place for her children by slowly poisoning Papa. But Jaja ultimately relinquishes his freedom as he steps back into the scapegoat role to protect Mama from the consequences of her homicidal act. His sense of duty to Kambili and Mama is so great that he feels guilt for not doing more to protect them even as he gives up almost three years of his life in prison. Though he appears removed and near-broken at the story’s end, the news that he will soon be released ignites hope for his renewal and for a future in which he can redefine himself beyond the necessity to please or protect others.
