thedangerofasinglestory.docx

thedangerofasinglestory.docx

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thedangerofasinglestory

ChimamandaNgoziAdichie:

Thedangerofasinglestory

I'mastoryteller.AndIwouldliketotellyouafewpersonalstoriesaboutwhatIliketocall"thedangerofthesinglestory."IgrewuponauniversitycampusineasternNigeria.MymothersaysthatIstartedreadingattheageoftwo,althoughIthinkfourisprobablyclosetothetruth.SoIwasanearlyreader,andwhatIreadwereBritishandAmericanchildren'sbooks.

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38Iwasalsoanearlywriter,andwhenIbegantowrite,atabouttheageofseven,storiesinpencilwithcrayonillustrationsthatmypoormotherwasobligatedtoread,IwroteexactlythekindsofstoriesIwasreading:

Allmycharacterswerewhiteandblue-eyed,theyplayedinthesnow,theyateapples,

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05andtheytalkedalotabouttheweather,howlovelyitwasthatthesunhadcomeout.

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11Now,thisdespitethefactthatIlivedinNigeria.IhadneverbeenoutsideNigeria.Wedidn'thavesnow,weatemangoes,andwenevertalkedabouttheweather,becausetherewasnoneedto.

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25Mycharactersalsodrankalotofgingerbeer,becausethecharactersintheBritishbooksIreaddrankgingerbeer.NevermindthatIhadnoideawhatgingerbeerwas.

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36Andformanyyearsafterwards,Iwouldhaveadesperatedesiretotastegingerbeer.Butthatisanotherstory.

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43Whatthisdemonstrates,Ithink,ishowimpressionableandvulnerableweareinthefaceofastory,particularlyaschildren.BecauseallIhadreadwerebooksinwhichcharacterswereforeign,IhadbecomeconvincedthatbooksbytheirverynaturehadtohaveforeignersinthemandhadtobeaboutthingswithwhichIcouldnotpersonallyidentify.Now,thingschangedwhenIdiscoveredAfricanbooks.Thereweren'tmanyofthemavailable,andtheyweren'tquiteaseasytofindastheforeignbooks.

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14ButbecauseofwriterslikeChinuaAchebeandCamaraLaye,Iwentthroughamentalshiftinmyperceptionofliterature.Irealizedthatpeoplelikeme,girlswithskinthecolorofchocolate,whosekinkyhaircouldnotformponytails,couldalsoexistinliterature.IstartedtowriteaboutthingsIrecognized.

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35Now,IlovedthoseAmericanandBritishbooksIread.Theystirredmyimagination.Theyopenedupnewworldsforme.ButtheunintendedconsequencewasthatIdidnotknowthatpeoplelikemecouldexistinliterature.SowhatthediscoveryofAfricanwritersdidformewasthis:

Itsavedmefromhavingasinglestoryofwhatbooksare.

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58Icomefromaconventional,middle-classNigerianfamily.Myfatherwasaprofessor.Mymotherwasanadministrator.Andsowehad,aswasthenorm,live-indomestichelp,whowouldoftencomefromnearbyruralvillages.So,theyearIturnedeight,wegotanewhouseboy.HisnamewasFide.Theonlythingmymothertoldusabouthimwasthathisfamilywasverypoor.Mymothersentyamsandrice,andouroldclothes,tohisfamily.AndwhenIdidn'tfinishmydinner,mymotherwouldsay,"Finishyourfood!

Don'tyouknowPeoplelikeFide'sfamilyhavenothing."SoIfeltenormouspityforFide'sfamily.

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42ThenoneSaturday,wewenttohisvillagetovisit,andhismothershowedusabeautifullypatternedbasketmadeofdyedraffiathathisbrotherhadmade.Iwasstartled.Ithadnotoccurredtomethatanybodyinhisfamilycouldactuallymakesomething.AllIhadheardaboutthemwashowpoortheywere,sothatithadbecomeimpossibleformetoseethemasanythingelsebutpoor.Theirpovertywasmysinglestoryofthem.

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12Yearslater,IthoughtaboutthiswhenIleftNigeriatogotouniversityintheUnitedStates.Iwas19.MyAmericanroommatewasshockedbyme.SheaskedwhereIhadlearnedtospeakEnglishsowell,andwasconfusedwhenIsaidthatNigeriahappenedtohaveEnglishasitsofficiallanguage.Sheaskedifshecouldlistentowhatshecalledmy"tribalmusic,"andwasconsequentlyverydisappointedwhenIproducedmytapeofMariahCarey.

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44SheassumedthatIdidnotknowhowtouseastove.

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48Whatstruckmewasthis:

Shehadfeltsorryformeevenbeforeshesawme.Herdefaultpositiontowardme,asanAfrican,wasakindofpatronizing,well-meaningpity.MyroommatehadasinglestoryofAfrica:

asinglestoryofcatastrophe.Inthissinglestory,therewasnopossibilityofAfricansbeingsimilartoherinanyway,nopossibilityoffeelingsmorecomplexthanpity,nopossibilityofaconnectionashumanequals.

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20ImustsaythatbeforeIwenttothe.,Ididn'tconsciouslyidentifyasAfrican.Butinthe.,wheneverAfricacameup,peopleturnedtome.NevermindthatIknewnothingaboutplaceslikeNamibia.ButIdidcometoembracethisnewidentity,andinmanywaysIthinkofmyselfnowasAfrican.AlthoughIstillgetquiteirritablewhenAfricaisreferredtoasacountry,themostrecentexamplebeingmyotherwisewonderfulflightfromLagostwodaysago,inwhichtherewasanannouncementontheVirginflightaboutthecharityworkin"India,Africaandothercountries."

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55So,afterIhadspentsomeyearsinthe.asanAfrican,Ibegantounderstandmyroommate'sresponsetome.IfIhadnotgrownupinNigeria,andifallIknewaboutAfricawerefrompopularimages,ItoowouldthinkthatAfricawasaplaceofbeautifullandscapes,beautifulanimals,andincomprehensiblepeople,fightingsenselesswars,dyingofpovertyandAIDS,unabletospeakforthemselvesandwaitingtobesavedbyakind,whiteforeigner.IwouldseeAfricansinthesamewaythatI,asachild,hadseenFide'sfamily.

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34ThissinglestoryofAfricaultimatelycomes,Ithink,fromWesternliterature.Now,hereisaquotefromthewritingofaLondonmerchantcalledJohnLocke,whosailedtowestAfricain1561andkeptafascinatingaccountofhisvoyage.AfterreferringtotheblackAfricansas"beastswhohavenohouses,"hewrites,"Theyarealsopeoplewithoutheads,havingtheirmouthandeyesintheirbreasts."

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04Now,I'velaughedeverytimeI'vereadthis.AndonemustadmiretheimaginationofJohnLocke.ButwhatisimportantabouthiswritingisthatitrepresentsthebeginningofatraditionoftellingAfricanstoriesintheWest:

AtraditionofSub-SaharanAfricaasaplaceofnegatives,ofdifference,ofdarkness,ofpeoplewho,inthewordsofthewonderfulpoetRudyardKipling,are"halfdevil,halfchild."

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31Andso,IbegantorealizethatmyAmericanroommatemusthavethroughoutherlifeseenandhearddifferentversionsofthissinglestory,ashadaprofessor,whooncetoldmethatmynovelwasnot"authenticallyAfrican."Now,Iwasquitewillingtocontendthattherewereanumberofthingswrongwiththenovel,thatithadfailedinanumberofplaces,butIhadnotquiteimaginedthatithadfailedatachievingsomethingcalledAfricanauthenticity.Infact,IdidnotknowwhatAfricanauthenticitywas.Theprofessortoldmethatmycharactersweretoomuchlikehim,aneducatedandmiddle-classman.Mycharactersdrovecars.Theywerenotstarving.ThereforetheywerenotauthenticallyAfrican.

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20ButImustquicklyaddthatItooamjustasguiltyinthequestionofthesinglestory.Afewyearsago,IvisitedMexicofromthe.Thepoliticalclimateinthe.atthetimewastense,andthereweredebatesgoingonaboutimmigration.And,asoftenhappensinAmerica,immigrationbecamesynonymouswithMexicans.TherewereendlessstoriesofMexicansaspeoplewhowerefleecingthehealthcaresystem,sneakingacrosstheborder,beingarrestedattheborder,thatsortofthing.

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53IrememberwalkingaroundonmyfirstdayinGuadalajara,watchingthepeoplegoingtowork,rollinguptortillasinthemarketplace,smoking,laughing.Irememberfirstfeelingslightsurprise.Andthen,Iwasoverwhelmedwithshame.IrealizedthatIhadbeensoimmersedinthemediacoverageofMexicansthattheyhadbecomeonethinginmymind,theabjectimmigrant.IhadboughtintothesinglestoryofMexicansandIcouldnothavebeenmoreashamedofmyself.

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25Sothatishowtocreateasinglestory,showapeopleasonething,asonlyonething,overandoveragain,andthatiswhattheybecome.

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36Itisimpossibletotalkaboutthesinglestorywithouttalkingaboutpower.Thereisaword,anIgboword,thatIthinkaboutwheneverIthinkaboutthepowerstructuresoftheworld,anditis"nkali."It'sanounthatlooselytranslatesto"tobegreaterthananother."Likeoureconomicandpoliticalworlds,storiestooaredefinedbytheprincipleofnkali:

Howtheyaretold,whotellsthem,whenthey'retold,howmanystoriesaretold,arereallydependentonpower.

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11Poweristheabilitynotjusttotellthestoryofanotherperson,buttomakeitthedefinitivestoryofthatperson.ThePalestinianpoetMouridBarghoutiwritesthatifyouwanttodispossessapeople,thesimplestwaytodoitistotelltheirstoryandtostartwith,"secondly."StartthestorywiththearrowsoftheNativeAmericans,andnotwiththearrivaloftheBritish,andyouhaveanentirelydifferentstory.StartthestorywiththefailureoftheAfricanstate,andnotwiththecolonialcreationoftheAfricanstate,andyouhaveanentirelydifferentstory.

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51IrecentlyspokeatauniversitywhereastudenttoldmethatitwassuchashamethatNigerianmenwerephysicalabuserslikethefathercharacterinmynovel.ItoldhimthatIhadjustreadanovelcalled"AmericanPsycho"--

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09--andthatitwassuchashamethatyoungAmericanswereserialmurderers.

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24Now,obviouslyIsaidthisinafitofmildirritation.

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29ButitwouldneverhaveoccurredtometothinkthatjustbecauseIhadreadanovelinwhichacharacterwasaserialkillerthathewassomehowrepresentativeofallAmericans.Thisis