Danger of a Single Story - Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 'The Danger of a Single Story'.

Quote: “Stories matter. Many stories matter.”
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Short declarative sentence
Effect on reader: Strong and clear message + empowers reader to value diverse perspectives

Quote: "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Metaphor
Effect on reader: Reveals how limiting perspectives can lead to misunderstandings and oversimplifications.

Quote: "Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Assertion
Effect on reader: Highlights the responsibility and potential abuse of controlling narratives.

Quote: "I realized that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: First-person narrative
Effect on reader: Creates a personal connection, fostering empathy and understanding.

Quote: "So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Repetition
Effect on reader: Emphasizes the dangers and consequences of repeatedly presenting a limited perspective.

Quote: "The consequences of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Emotive language
Effect on reader: Evokes a strong emotional response, highlighting the ethical implications of the single story.

Quote: "It is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Short declarative sentence
Effect on reader: Directly links narrative control to power dynamics, making a clear statement.

Quote: "I'm a storyteller, and I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call 'the danger of the single story'."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Anecdote
Effect on reader: Introduces a relatable, personal angle to frame the larger discussion on narrative.

Quote: "She assumed that I did not know how to use a stove."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Juxtaposition
Effect on reader: Highlighting the cultural differences

Quote: "All I knew about Africa came from those books."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Irony
Effect on reader: Illustrates the limited and skewed understanding derived from a narrow range of sources.

Quote: "Years later, I thought about this. I realized that I had grown up reading books in which characters were white and blue-eyed."
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Visual imagery
Effect on reader: Paints a vivid picture of

Quote: ".They stirred my imagination.”
Technique: Effect on reader:

Imagery
Effect on reader: Shows how stories can transport us to new worlds, even if those worlds are different from our own

Quote: “All my characters were white and blue-eyed.”
Technique: Effect on reader:

Visual Imagery
Effect on reader: Reinforces the idea that the world is seen through a certain lens (White and blue-eyed people).

Quote: ".I was an early reader, and what I read were British and American children’s books.”
Technique: Effect on reader:

Technique: Anecdote
Effect on reader: Connects the author's personal experience to the larger issue of the single story.