and Autonomy Sidi values her independence She is not willing to be just one of Baroka's many wives She rejects Baroka's proposal stating Be just Sadiku Compare my image and your lord s An age of difference She refuses to be a mere addition to Baroka's harem She desires a more equal and modern relationship Perceived Manipulation Sidi is also mindful of Baroka's tactics She suspects his ulterior motives She feels manipulated when Baroka employs deceitful strategies to win her over When she discovers his trick she expresses her anger Every woman who has supped with him one night Becomes his wife or concubine the next Assertion of Power and Control Sidi aims to assert her power and control over her destiny By rejecting Baroka she takes a stand for herself and her desires She wants to be the one making choices about her future She doesn t want to succumb to the traditional patriarchal expectations imposed upon her Sidi's rejection of Baroka's proposal reflects her yearning for modernity and independence She expresses her perception of Baroka's traditional nature So at the very outset Sidi rejects Baroka's marriage proposal