We Need New Names Sparknotes

Confessions of the truth are the most natural approach to solving a conflict; it may lead to either negative impacts in relationships or positive ones. More importantly, we must remember that our preconceptions will always cloud our relationship with the truth. Written by NoViolet Bulawayo, the novel We Need New Names describes the efforts its protagonist, Darling, takes as a skeptic of truth’s consequences throughout two distinct phases of her childhood, from Zimbabwe to America. Despite the fact that Darling matures to believe that her lies do not last forever, she excessively lies to guard the identities of two suffering relatives, her father and Uncle Kojo, from others. Although Darling's transition from Zimbabwe to America matures her
Her father has been a distant figure in her life, having left for South Africa when Darling was a baby. After becoming very sickly, he comes home to Paradise, but Darling only sees him as a monster. She states, “He is crocodile teeth and egg-white eyes, lying there, drowning in bed” (Bulawayo 92). Her descriptions show repulse of her father’s appearance, but more deeply, she senses her father’s suffering, for example, stating, “His voice sounds like something burned and seared his throat” (92). Darling’s mother later demands that she must keep her father’s sickness a secret. In obedience, Darling takes the responsibility to not only watch over her father as a mother would, but also lies profusely to her friends. Although Darling states, “I don’t like lying to them because they are the most important thing to me,” she ultimately continues to conceal his sickness (96). Firstly, Darling fears disobeying her mother’s demands. In addition, Darling is significantly embarrassed by her father’s monstrous state, “expecting for somebody to laugh at Father’s bones” (102). She believes that her father’s AIDS will become justification for her to be laughingstock within the gang. Her facade is broken when her friends learn the truth; specifically, Stina states, “It’s no use
In America, older in age and greater in maturity levels, Darling faces another suffering family member, Uncle Kojo, and takes constant care of him. After his son, TK, had been sent to Afghanistan for war, Uncle Kojo has acted unusually and disconnectedly, watching only the war on television, barely eating food, and having long driving adventures to groundlessly search for TK. According to Darling, Aunt Fostalina seems to accept these conditions; Darling states, “Maybe she hopes he will get tired of traveling; maybe she thinks it’s the only thing that keeps him going; maybe she doesn’t want to deal with it or just doesn’t know what to do” (282). Then, Uncle Kojo begins to drink, and the situation becomes progressively worse by the day, the liquor bottles being dispersed in many rooms of the house. During the transition from Zimbabwe to America, although Darling had not been able to bring her friends and family, she brought the lessons learned from her relationships with them. One important lesson from Stina was raised when she had hidden her father’s AIDS. He had stated, “It’s like hiding a thing with horns in a sack. One day the horns will start boring through the sack and come out in the open for everybody to see” (102). From this past experience, Darling believes that “hidden things are meant to be discovered” (268).