✍🏿 *African Prose* Characters in Redemption Road by Elma Shaw 🔗 https://www.literaturepadi.com.ng/2024/03/31/characters-in-elma-shaws-redemption-road/ Moses Varney is the antagonist in Redemption Road. He is a 54-year-old man who has come to Monrovia to procure arms for his principal and bribe Judge Dagoseh to enjoy protection from the judiciary. He is a character torn between his desire for a better life and his recognition of the corrupt system in which he operates. Varney is frustrated by the injustice he sees around him but feels compelled to participate in corrupt dealings, such as giving money to Judge Dagoseh, in order to survive and improve conditions for himself and others. He reflects on his past experiences and dreams of a day when justice will prevail in Liberia. His encounter with Bendu in the text brings to light who he was during the war, before his name changed, and who he still is. During the war that brought Charles Taylor to power, Moses Varney was a ruthless and cruel rebel leader who oversaw dehumanising atrocities like extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture, and forced marriages. In other words, Cobra is depicted as a brute who committed a lot of atrocities during the war. We are informed, through the author’s introspection into Cobra’s thoughts, that Cobra did not suddenly become the monster that he is. He had a troubled upbringing and faced mistreatment in his uncle’s home after his parents died in a ghastly motor accident. He was subjected to abuse and exploitation. However, this is no excuse for his cruelty.