Ruined

Angry, sullen, and aware of her seductive power over men, Josephine is described as “[o]ne of Mama’s girls, early twenties.” Josephine’s father was the chief of their village, so she still feels a pride and a sense of entitlement befitting her position as the chief’s daughter, even though she now works in a brothel. She enjoys a special connection with Mr. Harari, who frequents Mama Nadi’s bar and brings Josephine presents and promises of a fresh start elsewhere. Josephine exhibits signs of jealousy when Sophie gets too much attention for her youthful beauty, and she frequently argues with Salima over petty matters and men.

Sophie is Christian’s niece and a young woman who is still hopeful, even while recovering from a horrific sexual assault. She is described as “[o]ne of Mama’s girls, eighteen.” Christian, Sophie’s uncle and a travelling salesman, brings Sophie to Mama Nadi along with Salima. Sophie is exceptionally pretty, and she has a lovely singing voice as well as natural intelligence, all qualities that Mama Nadi can use at her bar and brothel. Sophie is young and damaged, but her experiences have not extinguished her strong spirit and her resilience; she displays her boldness and her powerful survival instincts at several times throughout the play, such as when she steals money from Mama Nadi in order to pay for an operation that she hopes will repair the damage done to her body by the soldiers with the bayonets. Sophie often plays the role of peacekeeper when Salima and Josephine engage in one of their arguments, and she misses an opportunity to escape to Uganda when the aid worker drives away without her. 

Imprisoned for five months by rebel soldiers and pregnant as a result of her captivity, Salima is described as “[o]ne of Mama’s girls, nineteen.” Salima’s rough hands reveal her status as a peasant woman when she and Sophie arrive to Mama Nadi’s bar at the same time, delivered by Christian. Salima’s experiences as a prisoner have damaged her in significant ways, and even though Mama Nadi does provide her with food and shelter, she experiences significant stress coping with life as one of Mama Nadi’s sex workers. Her stress worsens as time passes and her pregnancy develops, and, ultimately, the pressure builds in Salima to tragic ends, and she dies of possibly self-inflicted wounds to herself and her unborn baby.

Handsome and persistent, Christian is a recovering alcoholic and amateur poet who optimistically pursues Mama Nadi, despite her cynical attitude towards love and marriage. Christian is described as “[a] traveling salesman, early forties.” Christian frequents Mama Nadi’s bar as a friend and a customer, and as a supplier who brings Mama Nadi goods she requires to keep her business running. He also brings Mama Nadi two young women for her to protect and employ as prostitutes: Sophie, his niece, whom he cares for deeply, and Salima. Christian refuses to drink alcohol, until one point in the play when Mama Nadi coerces him into accepting whiskey from Commander Osembenga. This single drink changes Christian dramatically. When he finds sobriety again, he returns to Mama Nadi’s bar with a clear head and proposes they share their lives together one more time. 

A married man who regularly visits Josephine at Mama Nadi’s, Mr. Harari is described as “[a] Lebanese diamond merchant, early forties.” Mr. Harari speaks directly with Mama Nadi about her profiteering from the chaos that surrounds them; at first, Mr. Harari acknowledges Mama Nadi’s cleverness in a friendly way, but later, when Mama Nadi refuses to accept that she and her girls are in danger, he reminds Mama Nadi that not everyone is as strong and survival-minded as she is. His words impact Mama Nadi because he speaks to her like an equal, but they come too late; just as Mama Nadi wakes up to her desire to help Sophie by sending her away with Mr. Harari, the aid worker who could transport her safely to Uganda leaves in a panic. 

Erratic, dangerous, and unpredictable in his brutality, Kisembe is described as “[a] rebel leader.” Kisembe and his soldiers come to Mama Nadi’s bar, and his rough manner enables his soldiers to treat the girls roughly, using their strength and their propensity for violence to intimidate them. 

An imposing man with an authoritative air, Osembenga is described as “[a] military leader for the current government,” and his role is to find and destroy Kisembe and the rebel movement. He holds himself arrogantly, and when he and Mama Nadi first meet, he finds Mama Nadi’s enforcement of her house rules charming. They flirt with each other at several different points throughout the play. Osembenga also finds Sophie attractive, but Sophie resists his overtures, eliciting the ire of Mama Nadi, who forces Sophie to do what is expected of her. When Osembenga finds out that Mama Nadi has been lying to him about knowing Kisembe, he becomes enraged. During the siege of Mama Nadi’s bar, Osembenga and his soldiers stop their violence only when Salima appears, bloody and dying. 

In the list of characters, Fortune is described as “[a] government soldier, Salima’s husband.” He comes to Mama Nadi’s bar with his cousin, Simon, because he has heard that a woman named Salima is there. Having heard the story of Fortune’s rejection of Salima after she came home to him, Mama Nadi protects her by denying the presence of Salima. Fortune refuses to listen and stands outside the door of the bar, waiting for Salima to appear. From this position, he observes Kisembe patronizing Mama Nadi’s bar; Fortune alerts Osembenga to the presence of the rebels, which makes him responsible for the siege that becomes the backdrop to his wife’s death.

In the list of characters, Simon is described as “[a] government soldier, Fortune’s cousin.” Simon accompanies Fortune to Mama Nadi’s bar to find Salima. He tries to reason with Fortune, reminding him that the soldiers are to blame for his pain and his loss of his wife, not Salima herself. 

In the list of characters, Laurent is described as “[a] government soldier, Osembenga’s assistant.” Laurent is with Osembenga when Fortune approaches the commander with the news that Kisembe has been seen patronizing Mama Nadi’s establishment. 

Kisembe’s soldiers are frequent customers at Mama Nadi’s bar and brothel. They drink and joke amongst themselves, led by Jerome Kisembe, and exhibit rude and aggressive behaviors towards Mama Nadi’s girls and other customers. 

Like Kisembe’s soldiers, the government soldiers also frequent Mama Nadi’s place. They also drink, joke, and exhibit rude and aggressive behaviors towards the women who work at the bar, and toward other customers.