What is the importance of the desert in the novel, Who Fears Death?

The desert is a harsh place, but it is also where Onyesonwu spent the first six years of her life. Thus, her journey across the desert to the Seven Rivers Kingdom represents something of a return home. The desert is anthropomorphized through Onyesonwu’s relationship with the desert and its creatures, as she frequently describes the desert as having taught her songs and other knowledge. It is unforgiving to the other characters who grew up in Jwahir and are unused to the desert camp life. Thus, the journey through the desert represents an obstacle during Onyesonwu’s quest journey.