Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, ableism, and mental illness.

Zelu is the protagonist of Death of the Author. She is a second-generation Nigerian American writer who has paraplegia. Zelu’s parents, Secret and Omoshalewa, come from Igbo and Yoruba families, respectively. This roots Zelu’s home dynamics in conflict since Omoshalewa’s royal family has a bias against Igbo men like Secret and since Igbos do not believe in hierarchical systems like the monarchy. 

Zelu is the second of six children, making her the first “middle child,” as she describes herself. This self-description hints at Zelu’s struggles to assert her agency within the family. The fact that Zelu’s family is prone to argumentation exacerbates their treatment of her. She is made to feel like her family sees her as a burden who requires overprotection. Much of Zelu’s character arc revolves around assuring her parents and her siblings that she has been strengthened by the protection they have given her thus far, as well as that she has the capacity to pursue her dreams by taking advantage of the opportunities offered to her, developing the theme of Asserting the Agency of People With Disabilities.