Little Rot

Content Warning: The novel and this section of the guide contain references to violence, murder, drug use, rape, human trafficking, child abuse, and child sexual abuse.

Little Rot is a novel about how patriarchy creates an environment in which sex becomes an expression of power rather than love or desire, and in which men can commit sexual violence with impunity. In the fictional city of New Lagos, Nigeria, patriarchal norms are so entrenched that men’s sexual transgressions are simply laughed off or ignored, allowing worse crimes to proliferate unchecked. The novel suggests that it is essential to see the ugly, predatory aspects of society and not look away. This simple act of seeing takes courage, but it is the only way to prevent the “rot” of corruption from festering and spreading.

At the start of the novel, Aima reflects on the widespread nature of infidelity in New Lagos. “All married men in the city” have women they “privately fucked” behind their wives’ backs, even pastors like Okinosho and a “good man” like Kalu (19). New Lagos is a city where, if you are a man, “you [can] do whatever” and “no one [will] notice” (19).