Dining Area Quote by Nnedi Okorafor
““Olo, Remi, Kwuga, Nur, Anajama, Rhoden. Only Olo and Remi were in my group. Everyone else I met in the dining area or the learning room where various lectures were held by professors onboard the ship. They were all girls who grew up in sprawling houses, who’d never walked through the desert, who’d never stepped on a snake in the dry grass. They were girls who could not stand the rays of Earth’s sun unless it was shining through a tinted window. Yet they were girls who knew what I meant when I spoke of “treeing.” We sat in my room (because, having so few travel items, mine was the emptiest) and challenged each other to look out at the stars and imagine the most complex equation and then split it in half and then in half again and again. When you do math fractals long enough, you kick yourself into treeing just enough to get lost in the shallows of the mathematical sea. None of us would have made it into the university if we couldn’t tree, but it’s not easy. We were the best and we pushed each other to get closer to “God.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Binti, Nnedi Okorafor, 2015
A group of privileged girls on a spaceship bond over complex mathematical games, using them to seek deeper meaning and spiritual closeness.
In simple terms: Girls use math games to connect and explore spirituality.
Key Takeaway
Embrace challenging collaboration for personal growth.
Themes
friendship
learning
spirituality
mathematics
identity
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- space travel
- study groups
- personal development
- overcoming privilege gaps
Key Concepts
fractals
treeing
cultural contrast
self‑discovery
Questions to Reflect On
- How can abstract games foster real connection?
- What does “treeing” symbolize for you?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may obscure practical steps for real‑world application.
