the danger of a single story by Adichie

text type

text type

autobiographical speech

summary

The Danger of a Single Story is a 2009 TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It explores the negative influences that a “single story” can have and examines where these stories come from. Adichie is a Nigerian writer, and in her speech she discusses some ofthe issues she faced when she moved to America from Africa to attend university

themes and emotions

• sarcastic

• Stereotyping,

• prejudice

• preconceptions

• The presentation of people, culture and societies through the media and books

beginning

The talk begins with Adichie reflecting on her childhood in Nigeria and how, as an early writer, she began to write stories that did notreflect her reality. She thoughtthat, because ofthe books she read as a child,the characters in her writing had to look a certain way and her stories should be aboutthings with which she could not relate to.

middle

This changed when she discovered African writers, as she realised thatthere was no “single story” of what books and stories should be.

end

When Adichie went to university in the US, she had to deal with her American classmates’ and teachers’ stereotypical ideas about her and her background, which were often based on a narrow perspective or a “single story” they had been given. She also shares that she,too, was guilty of stereotyping or basing what she thinks on one given perspective. She ends by reflecting on the dangers of showing people as only one thing, over and over again, until that is what they become; Adichie makes the argument that stories really do matter to the way we see ourselves and other people. link to self fulfilling prophecy.

key quotes

• The language used throughout is formal with a conversational tone.

• In the title- she uses “story” as a metaphor for stereotypes.

• The use of the word danger explains Adichie’s first argument ie: a single story can be harmful and can lead to a great misunderstanding of different cultures etc. It foreshadows the main argument. The title has a cautionary tone to it.

• Adichie uses pathos to appeal to the reader as she uses emotion as a way of convincing the audience through her anecdotes.

• In the introduction- “I’m a storyteller”- the personal pronoun used engages the audience.

• “Few personal stories” - personal anecdotes coming up. “The danger of a single story”- juxtaposes and gives a cautionary tone, reminding the reader that what she’s about to say is important.

• “Although I think four is probably close to the truth” - Her honesty and modesty make her appealing to the audience. The audience is more likely to listen and accept what she says. Ethos can be seen here (establishes credibility).

• “my poor mother was obligated to read”- Pathos is in the form of humour which makes the Adichie more likeable.

• She lists “all my characters were white and blue-eyes…” - listing here emphasises the monotony of the type of stories she was reading and the how uninspiring it was.

• Adichie juxtaposes (antithesis) how different her life was compared to the stories she read.

• “Impressionable and vulnerable”- Emotive language is used. The tone is just becoming more serious. She wants the audience to reflect on the harmfulness of these stories.

• She uses the collective pronoun “we”- she’s trying to encourage a sense of unity with the audience.

•  “Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye” - Adichie establishes credibility by mentioning these authors of African origin, proving that she’d well-read.

•  “Unintended” the language choice here creates an empathetic tone- this makes her sound not bitter and more friendly as she wants to engage the audience.

• The punctuation used “: it saved me from having a single story of what books are.- draws attention to the following clause. ● “Mariah Carey” using popular culture as a contrast- humour (engages the audience)

• Well-meaning pity- carefully selecting language choice which creates an empathetic tone.

• Anaphora “no possibility”- it emphasises the dangers of patronising.

• She critiques herself and says that she’s “guilty” of accepting a single story. She’s suggesting this shared responsibility.

•  “Fleecing”, “sneaking”. The words have negative connotations and highlight how negatively the media portrays Mexicans (and other cultures).

• Use of repetition: “as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again...”- emphasises that it is a cultural problem. It is a problem that needs to be dealt with.

•  “Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign “ the juxtaposition emphasises both sides and the great possibilities of stories if they are told correctly.

• The anaphora of “when we” in the last paragraph. The collective pronoun highlights shared responsibility