What does death represent in the novel, Who Fears Death?

Death represents liberation in Who Fears Death. The wilderness, which is analogous to both a spiritual plane and an afterlife, is a place where characters are free from the constraints of mortal life. Onyesonwu’s own death represents her liberation from the yoke of martyrdom, leading her to choose her own life with Mwita in the eastern forest. Characters often consider death a release, such as Najeeba in the immediate aftermath of her rape and Nuumu when Onyesonwu attempts to heal her.