Read the excerpt below and answer the question. it was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw. (p. 13) based on context clues, the best definition for the word “malevolent” in the excerpt above is ugly disengaged and distracted wishing ill on others watchful and guarding

Wishing ill on others

Nnamabia is the spoilt and mischievous first son of his parents, who live in the university town of Nsukka.  The father is a professor at the university.  Note: in Nigeria, many first sons are spoilt.  Is it the same in your clime?

Spoilt by his mother as the first son, Nnamabia commits many crimes which finally landed him in prison.  In Cell One, he met an old man being unjustly abused and maltreated by the prison guards.  This maltreatment enraged Nnamabia, prompting him to caution the guards.  This singular act landed him into more trouble and hardship with the guards.

It is the meeting with the old man and his reactions to the guards, including subsequent punishment meted to him that finally made Nnamabia to understand the injustice present in the Nigerian prison system.

This short story was written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her 2007 collection titled, "The Thing Around Your Neck."

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