As Papa Eugene’s sister, Aunty Ifeoma challenges his authority by adopting a flippant tone with him, urging him to allow his kids to visit Papa Nnukwu, and encouraging freedom of speech in her own household. By spending time around Aunty Ifeoma, Kambili begins to realise the difference between her and her brother’s uncomfortable, planned-out lives as Papa Eugene’s daughter and the uninhibited lives of her cousins living in Aunty Ifeoma care. Furthermore, Aunty Ifeoma’s tender interactions with Mama (Beatrice) open up Mama’s eyes to the brutality she has been subjected to because of Papa Eugene, inadvertently pushing her to poison him in the last section of the novel. Interestingly, Ifeoma’s bronze lipstick is a consistent symbol of empowerment, something Kambili keeps expressing a desire to obtain herself, eventually growing into her empowered self.