The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Precious Ramotswe, often called Mma Ramotswe, is the protagonist of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Ramotswe is described as “not tall—being blessed with generous girth, rather than height” (98). Her fatness is appealing to men throughout the novel: In one instance, a cheating husband that Ramotswe is investigating tells her “that he liked good, fat women” (142) like her. This reflects that fact that fatness is considered a positive physical attribute in women in Botswana. Mma Ramotswe is characterized by her perseverance through loss, her love of Botswana, and her independence. While her perseverance and national pride are constants throughout the novel, Mma Ramotswe comes to increasingly trust her love interest J.L.B. Matekoni as the novel progresses, and ultimately remarries, despite initially vowing never to do so. When she was younger, Ramotswe’s father and cousin begged her not to marry Note Mokoti, but she did “because she was headstrong” (135). Later, when J.L.B. Matekoni first proposes to Ramotswe, she rejects him, explaining that “I cannot get married again. Ever. I am happy as I am. I have got the agency and the house. My life is full” (138). Her change of heart and her reclaimed confidence in her own judgment as an older, wiser woman forms the novel’s emotional resolution and is the main thrust of her character arc.