Danger of a Single Story

Danger of a Single Story

1. By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. STRUCTURE

   • It takes us chronologically through key times in the writer’s life.
     • It starts with her recollection of her early reading of western stories and how they influenced her own youthful writing.
   • There is a narrative and reflective approach
     • 3. As a visitor to Mexico, where she was guilty of stereotyping.
     • 1. Taken through her early life in Nigeria
       • When she stereotyped Fide's family to be poor and unable to be happy
       • Talking about how she came from "a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family"
     • 2. When she went to America and faced her roommate's default stereotypical expectations of her
   • Use of short, one-sentence paragraphing
     • Effective: It emphasises key points, including her final point
   • Often use of repetition
     • Effective: Shows she is trying to focus on the particular message

3. LANGUAGE

   • "They opened up new worlds for me"
     • Metaphor: opened her eyes up to new cultures
   • "a few personal Stories"
     • Anecdote: learning about her life
   • "All my characters were white and blue eyes, they played..."
     • Listing: Stereotypes of western culture
     • Juxtoposing to "We ate mangoes, and we never.."
       • Repeated pronoun of "we" - uniting all Nigerians
   • "I'm a storyteller"
     • Declaration: she is giving the audience a statement so they trust her
     • "I" = personal pronoun
       • Connection with the audience
     • Takes the audience straight into the story
       • Gives immediacy to the text
   • "conventional, middle-class Nigerian family"
     • She accepts that she is priveliged
   • "British and American children's books"
     • Declaration/Fact: dominant cultures
   • "Tribal music"
     • Juxtoposing to: "Mariah Carey"
   • "I was startled"
     • Juxtoposing to: "My American rommate was shocked by me"

4. "Single Story" - sibilance --> mystery, intriguing