epic foil

I think the book ends with a hopeless tone in order to demonstrate just what Tambu has lost in the course of her life so far. In this case, the loss is in the extreme, because she's alienated from the one thing she ever had - her self.

Tambu pretty much relied on the "grid" for her life thus far. She had personal drive to succeed, of course, but she launched her person into the world on pre-planned tracks. Ever since rejecting her mom and dad's way of life, she accepted Babamukuru's. Her obeisance to his authority - from day one - stultified her self. She never possessed or exercised true freedom, like, say, Lucia. Lucia is the fundamental foil to Tambu.

Lucia leapt from gridline to gridline of society's structures with dexterity and courage. Moving from institution to institution (family to city to family to mission), Lucia demonstrated the ability to act in accordance with her personal autonomy and aspiration, and not get bogged down in the extraneous aspects of a given institution (family patriarchy, sexual "decency", [classist?] "shame" for being a cook). Her sensitivity to her person, and her persons' needs and desires (she was never ashamed to be with Takesure), curbed her from accepting false promises (for instance, get good grades and you get a good job, Tambu). Perhaps this was selfish of her.

But that's the point: Tambu has refused to be selfish, even in a good way. She firmly and exclusively places herself on the line of Babamukuru's plotting, and therefore, with European culture and hierarchy. Everyone in class hated how she never stood up for herself, and this is seriously unfair. She's in a tough spot, as she constantly reminds us. But it is a tough spot not just because of her circumstance, but because of her negating her own personal experience and validity. (Body/mind disconnect, anyone)