The Danger of a Single Story Key Points

Genre

Autobiographical speech on an educational theme.

Audience

it is mainly directed at young people, although also interesting to adults and people interested in literature.

Speech about the power and dangers of stories

everyone is affected by the stories which they tell and the stories that they hear.

Purpose

Adichie's aim is to challenge prejudice. She explores the way in which people judge or interpret others according to stereotypes of race and colour. This is because we only have a 'single story' of them

background

Adichie was born in September 1997 in Nigeria to a father who was a University Professor and a mother who was the University of Nigeria's first female registrar. She studied medicine, initially in Nigeria and then moved to the USA to continue this education. She is a very successful novelist, poet and short story writer.

personal

There is a strong emphasis on personal experience in the speech. This is introduced in line 1 where Adichie explains that the speech will be made up of 'personal stories.' Personal anecdotes are uses throughout the piece to persuade people that they need to hear or read a wide variety of stories to understand the world we live in

order

A chronological structure is used throughout the piece to give recollections from Adichie's
own life story.

tone

Uses a direct, personal and persuasive tone

humour

While making a serious point, she often includes gentle humour in her piece to build a bond with the audience and to make her ideas more accessible. Find an example.

opening sentence

An emphatic and brief opening sentence shows the importance of the theme of storytelling in her life

use of language - discourse markers

Use of 'now' and 'so' at the start of sentences engages the listeners' attention and creates
storytelling tone

sentences

Summative sentences are used to draw conclusions from her own experiences. Find an example

personal anacdotes

Use of personal anecdote: the story of Fide is used to highlight how Adiche herself was
vulnerable to the dangers of believing a single story

encourage readers

The biblical allusion of paradise is used at the end to encourage readers to be open minded

juxtaposition para 2 and 3

Juxtaposition between paragraph 2 and 3 is used to highlight the difference between the
world that she reads about in British and American children's books and the world that she has grown up in.

juxtaposition

Juxtaposition between Adichie's preconceptions about Fide and her American roommate's preconceptions about her is used to show that all of us are susceptible to simplistic judgements.