Author Study Passages: Close Readings

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah:

“You know at home when somebody tells you that you lost weight, it means something bad. But here somebody tells you that you lost weight and you say thank you. It’s just different here.” (Adichie 152)

Analysis:

I thought this was very interesting passage because she is describing not only the change in culture and surroundings but also how such a small and meaningless phrase like “you lost weight” could mean two completely different things. Also, the way Ginika is saying this is a sort of condescending way like teaching ifemelu something that she wouldn’t know because she’s not as much of an American as Ginika. Also, the phrase “It’s just different here” is sort of cold and fast, as if she has no time to explain something that “obvious” to Ifemelu.

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Americanah

“Hispanic means the chocolate skinned woman from Peru, Hispanic means the indigenous people from Mexico. Hispanic means the biracial looking folks from the Dominican Republic. Hispanic means the paler folks from Puerto Rico. Hispanic also means the blond, blue-eyed guy from Argentina. All you need tobe is Spanish-speaking but not from Spain and voila, you’re a race called Hispanic.”

(Adichie 129)

Analysis:

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Half of a Yellow Sun

“At first the word insider thrilled Richard. But doubts soon crawled out; insider had been Kanene's word, after all, and not Madu’s. Madu saw him as a foreigner, which perhaps was why he thought he would be good at this.”

(Adichie 382)

Analysis: