Black Africanity and Afro-optimism in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013 (original) (raw)
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The Construction of Blackness in "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The tradition of telling stories about Africa has not been doing justice to the complexity of the continent. In 2009, Nigerian-born writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a memorable TED-Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story“, where she reminds her audience that, as early as the XVI century, travelers engaged in a rhetoric meant to legitimize imperialist interests by portraying Africans in a dehumanizing way. They were, in the words of traveler John Lok, “beasts who had no houses“ (Adichie 06:35- 07:00). Probably the most prominent account of dehumanizing portrayals of Africans is Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novel Heart of Darkness, about which Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe writes that it is making Africa “a place where man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality“. In light of her observation that telling stories about other people means to exercise power, I am reading her 2013 novel Americanah as an attempt to correct the one-sided story about Africa. I show how Ifemelu, the main character of Americanah, is part of a multi-faceted narrative about being African, precisely because she deconstructs the “essential black subject“ (Hall 443), an identity she is subjected to in the United States of America. By the construction of Ifemelu's Blackness I mean that her identity results from white society imposing oppressive constraints on her, most notably on her affect. By refusing what I will call the “affective identity“ projected onto her, she complicates Blackness and refuses the victimhood of being the “racialized Other“, becoming an Afropolitan character. I then offer a short overview of the concept of Afropolitanism, while bearing in mind that “[t]he right question is not so much What or who are the Afropolitans? But what work can Afropolitanism do to illuminate and enhance our understanding of Africans in and of the world today?“
Journal Article, 2021
Philosophically and politically there is no such thing as an African people. There is an African world. (Fanon, Frantz. Toward the Revolution of Africa. p. 18) The paper examines Chimamanda Adichie's novel, Americana, from the perspective of postcolonial theory in order to interrogate the inevitable shift in African literature. The early African writers paid much attention to the use of myths and legends in portraying the historicity, beauty and wholeness of African culture, while at the same time reacting against the stereotypical assumptions of the West about Africa. Their vision was centralized in rehabilitating and reestablishing the African humanity and personality. Gradually, there was st a shift of emphasis in the 21 century, which came about as a result of globalisation that resulted in transnational and cultural mobility across borders, which have extended the horizon of African literature. In the new century, Africans travel to Europe and America for personal ambition and quest for better life and in the process, the migrants interact with the Europeans or Americans, marry and speak their language in addition to their mother tongue, and work for or among them. Consequently, rather than treat such interaction as exploitative, the migrants review it as beneficial because it enables them to achieve their personal ambition, and even become citizens and this trajectory clearly reflects in literary works. The paper therefore attempts to identify the paradigm shift in African literature and how the cultural and transnational interactions have helped the new writers to condense universal knowledge, and address international themes in their narratives as well as bring the new writers to international recognition. In addition to this, the study attempts to highlight some possible differences between the new and the old writers, the kind of difference that is defined by the concept of Afropolitanism.
The Afropolitanist Discourse and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah: A Reading
The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 2020
For the British-born Nigerian-Ghanaian Taiye Selasi(2005) who coined the term from Africa and cosmopolitan in her 2005 seminal article 'Bye-Bye Babar',afropolitan represents a progressive and afrooptimistic articulation and representation of modern-day Africans who are at home in several cosmopolitan cities of the world yet with a strong connection to Africa. She states: They (red: we) are Afropolitans-new wave of African emigrants, coming soon or already collected… you'll know us through funny blend of London fashion, New York Jargon, African ethics, and academic achievements…. There is at least one location on the African continent to which we attach our sense of self [ … ] Then there is the city of the G8 or two that we know like the backs of our hands […] we are Afropolitans: not citizens but Africans of the world (2). She refers to Afropolitans as the newest generation of African emigrants readily recognized by their peculiar blend of fashion, their accent, their African morals and their academic successes and for whom there is a place in Africa they call home and also a place or places outside the African continent they feel quite at home. In fact, for her, Afropolitans are Africans of the world. Amanda Fortier(2015) views it 'as a totally optimistic, modern concept of Africans living on and off the continentwho are at home in Dakar, Joburg, or Addis as they are in London, Paris or New York'(2). As a mélange of Africa and cosmopolitan, Selasi uses afropolitan to describe 'a class of people who have deep and meaningful-yet fluid, connections to Africa, while identifying more as citizens of the world than any particular nation state' (Ooko-Ombaka, 2). Cameroonian Philosopher and social scientist, Achille Mbembe(2007) did much in popularizing the theory in his essay 'Afropolitanism' where he states that 'cultural mixing' or 'the interweaving of worlds' has been adopted since time immemorial as Africa's ''way of belonging to the world' (28) irrespective of where one lives-whether on or outside the continent. Mbembe is of the belief that afropolitanism is useful in the manner in which it offers an 'Africa-mediated vision of the world.' However, in the midst of some celebratory essays are other voices of dissent in the afropolitanist discourse. Kenyan intellectual and writer Binyavanga Wainaina (2012) is vocal in his critique of afropolitanism, insisting that he is a pan-Africanist, not an afropolitan. Amanda Fortier submits that 'Wainaina, Kenya's literary darling and self-professed pan-Africanist, is a vocal critic of the concept calling it a 'marker of crude cultural commodification' (1). Stephanie Bosch Santana(2012) in her essay 'Exorcizing Afropholitanism' which itself is a response to Binyavanga Wainaina's lecture delivered in 2012 at AfricanStudies Association UK 2012 Conference, makes a similar statement to that of Fortier when she submits that 'Wainaina's address was a kind of exorcising in its own right, an attempt to rid African literary and cultural studies of the ghost of Afropolitianism' (1). She goes further to say that 'for Wainaina, Afropolitanism has become a marker of crude cultural commodification-a phenomenon increasingly 'product driven', design focused, and 'potentially
Deconstructing the 'single story': Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah
2018
Stories in literature and in mythology carry a unique ability to teach, admonish, and denounce while representing a way to fight against conventional images and ideas. This article analyses Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013) as a postcolonial coming-of-age story, which rewrites the stereo-typical plot of romance and the male-female double Bildungsroman, from the perspective of two mar-ginalized characters, simultaneously deconstructing the Eurocentric patriarchal literary canon. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Fiction award, the novel describes the formative processes of a heroine and a hero who meet and fall in love in Nigeria, migrate to the West, and ultimately reunite in their home country fifteen years later. Through the tension of adaptation and resistance to white norms and white privilege, racism, sexism, and classism of British and American societies, Adichie attempts to define the hybrid identity of the two protagonists and explore their strategies of resistance to overcome suffering. Approaches to gender, decolonization, globalization and Afropolitanism have been purposely adopted to clarify and deepen the analysis of their stories, with a special focus on the importance of Nigeria for the writer and her characters in the interconnection between Africa and the West, the 'global South' and 'global North'.
Despite the fact that Americanah is Adichie's most talked-about work, the few articles that have been published on this novel have not addressed many of Americanah's most significant issues. To date, none of the short articles, reviews, and scholarly articles considers how this novel is related to the Negritude movement. Exploring Americanah through postcolonial and Negritude lens, this paper examines the implications of the novel's turning point, the protagonist's decision to return to her home country Nigeria. The climax of this novel implies the rejection of the claims to superiority as well as the violence and prejudices that the West inflicts on blacks; this decision to return home challenges the West's " Master Narrative, " and its imposed culture that erodes African identities and roots. Drawing on the writings of multiple postcolonial writers, I argue that following a Negritudinal paradigm, Adichie's Americanah rejects the projected black inferiority that has been advanced in Western discourses. The novel therefore urges Africans to re-evaluate African culture through a renewed appreciation and respect for African languages and cultures, and the cultivation of an Afro-centric sensibility.
AFROPOLITANIST CONSTRUCTS IN TAIYE SELASI’S GHANA MUST GO AND CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S AMERICANAH
Tobi Idowu , 2018
Migrant literature has continued to gain increasing prominence in literary production due to what has been described as postcolonial impulse in the contemporary Third World literature. This is, in part, reflective of the experiences of the Third World countries in the face of increasing globalisation; and also, in part, reflective of the increasing residency of literary artists and critics of the third world countries in the West. Meanwhile, Afropolitanism falls into the general category of migrant literature. However, what sets it apart from other migrant literary discourse is its radical shift in thematic focus with regards to home, identity and in the construal of nationality. Afropolitanism has its provenance in the now seminal essay of multinational writer, Taiye Selasi (2005) titled, ByeBye Barbar or What is an Afropolitan? of whose major thematic thrust is the refusal to pander to the thematic expectations of a typical African in the diaspora. This study therefore engages with the ideas that underpin the thematic preoccupations of the Afropolitans. It adopts the qualitative approach for its methodology as two texts of veritable Afropolitan tilts, Taiye Selasi’s Ghana Must Go and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah have been selected as primary analytical texts in order to explore the Afropolitanist constructs. The study also makes use of postcolonial theory as its theoretical framework. This study, thereafter, is able to foreground, through the exploration of such diasporic markers as race, identity, home, exilic feelings and cultural intermingling, that Afropolitan writings not only seek to problematize the conventional standards of engagement within the migrant literature but also to push forward into the front burner unheralded but legitimate ideas surrounding migrant experiences.
Human Affairs , 2018
The article analyzes two novels of migration by Nigerian women authors in the context of Afropolitanism: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013) and Sefi Atta's A Bit of Difference (2013). It is argued that Afropolitanism obscures the reasons why migration from Africa to the West has been increasing in the decades since independence, rather than decreasing. In comparing the two novels, the article focuses on empathy towards and solidarity between fellow Nigerians, which has been seen by Nigerian philosopher Chielozona Eze as crucial for building African civil society and functional state.
An exploration of afropolitanism in Taiye Selasi's Ghana must go and chimamanda Adichie's Americanah
2015
This study is an exploration of the representation of Afropolitanism in Taiye Selasi's debut novel Ghana must go (2013), and Chimamanda Adichie's novel Americanah (2013). The purpose of the study was to explore Afropolitanism using Selasi's (2005) essay Who is an Afropolitan? as a benchmark. Selasi blends the words Africa and cosmopolitan in her essay, Who is an Afropolitan? which discusses the fashion, dance style, and nationality of the Afropolitan, but not themes in literature. She coined the term because she was never satisfied with the answers she gave when she was questioned about her identity. In the exploration of Afropolitanism in the two novels, the researcher used the content analysis method. The study used the diaspora and transnationalism theory which addresses the concerns of people that have moved from their home countries in search of self-development through work or studies as well as the hybridity as creolisation theory which addresses the concerns of people born in Europe or the West to purely African ancestors or one of the parents are of a different race. The study revealed the following themes that pertain to Afropolitanism in Ghana must go (2013) and Americanah (2013): cultural hybridity, careers, identity formation and an African bond. The theme of self-expression was explored only in Americanah (2013). For example, in Ghana must go (2013) the twin boy struggles with his identity because of his Scottish heritage which gives him a skin complexion that is neither black nor white and he does not know what nationality to consider himself. In Americanah (2013) the main character's cultural hybridity is highlighted when she finds herself missing America while at the same time loving being in Nigeria. The study concluded that Afropolitanism does not only relate to fashion, dance style and art, but its exploration is also relevant in literature. This study ii contributes to knowledge of the world as a global village, but more specifically the international integration of cultures as expressed in literature, not only in the African diaspora, but in Africa as well. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Jesus Christ, the greatest academic and my source of inspiration. Professor Kangira I would not have reached the finish line if it was not for your constant push and faith in me. May God bless you with more years and more wisdom as you continue to contribute to the academic output of this country. Dr. Smit, you brought out the best in me with your firmness and uncompromising work ethic-thank you. Dr. Krishnamurthy-thanks for letting me 'pick your brain' and also granting me the time. I would also like to thank Dr. Mlambo, my brother; you know very well why I am thanking you. Mr. Joseph Gandanhamo words are not enough to express my gratitude for all you have done to make my dream come true. God knew why our paths had to cross-thank you sha. To Ms Juliet Eiseb, Ms Juliet Pasi, and Ms Erna Daniel-your prayers carried me. To all my colleagues, thank you for showing interest in my studies, for your constructive criticism and encouragement. I want to thank my siblings who supported me and took care of my babies because they understood that I embarked on this research during a difficult time in my personal life. Prince Joshua and Princess Zoey, I was not there most of the time but I had to do this for you. iv DEDICATION This thesis is a dedication to my children, Joshua and Zoey, my sisters and my brother. God is changing the ≠Gawas destinies. I love you all!!! v DECLARATION I, Emelda Uaundjua /Ucham, hereby declare that this study is a true reflection of my own research, and that this work, or part thereof has not been submitted for a degree in any other institution of higher education. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or
International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 2019
The paper is based on the issue of immigration in Adichie's Americanah and its various racial implications in the multicultural context of America. It accordingly decodes and explains the multifaceted relationships that African immigrants have with African Americans and white Americans. The results indicate that race is still a ma jor problem in contemporary America in spite of all the democratic laws that guarantee equality and equity between all races in America. They showed that African immigrants are sometimes discriminated on the basis of their skin color. On such basis, they are victims of stigmatization and racism on the one hand. On the other hand they are blamed and hated by African Americans for the supposed role that a minority of Africans had played during the Atlantic slave trade. The study thus revealed that immigration could negatively impact on the psychology and behavior of many African immigrants. It generally leads to assimilation, mental complexes and identity loss as seen through the character of aunt Uju and her date. However the paper concluded that Adichie's Americanah is a novel which advocates a Homi Bhabharian Third Space of Enunciation wherein cultural and racial differences could therefore become added values of complementarity, of reinforcement and acceptance instead of stigmatization, rejection and assimilation.
Correcting Africans’ Misconceptions about America in Americanah
East african scholars, 2019
This paper seeks to address the Africans’ misconceptions about the American life as presented in Chiamamnda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. It examines Adichie’s depiction of negative social issues in America which were concealed form Africans by the American mass media, the influential Nigerian parents, and the incomplete report of the previous travelers and immigrants to America. Adichie attempts to convey an inclusive presentation of the American life through her diasporic characters and their struggle against the Americans’ racial prejudice, low level of education, lack of employment, and financial struggle. The paper illustrates how Adichie sheds light upon the importance of remodeling the untrue presentation of America to prevent the Africans’ agony and disappointment when immigrating to America. To achieve this, the paper examines the Nigerian immigrants experience with the Americans’ racial prejudice, low level of education, lack of employment, and financial struggle as distinctive aspects of the American life.