EAC150 NBE
The Truth Behind the Veil
In the story “In the Shadow of War”, there are many symbolic references to the main idea
and backdrop of the story which is war. One symbolic figure in the story is the mysterious
woman wearing a black veil. The woman represents the terrifying reality of the war that has
affected the people of Nigeria. The woman represents a purpose in every aspect of her role to the
story. in the story, everything from her clothes, to her face, to her actions, represents the people
of Nigeria who are the victims of the war and hide their fear and weakness like the woman in the
veil. because her actions represent how the people are compelled to fight against each other. The
woman has a disfigured face with a gash, and it symbolizes the split between the people of
Nigeria the war has caused, and the woman covers herself from head to toe to hide her true self
