The danger of a single story isn’t just the pretense it displays to the subject, but also the danger that it could pose to ways of life. Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. Adichie explains her point of view on the single story, how it could affect people, and how it can cause more danger than it seems. Adichie grew up on a university campus in Eastern Nigeria. Growing up, her mother could tell Adichie had a passion and love for learning, especially reading and writing. From the Western books she had read, she had an idea of what it was like in the Western part of the world. She formed her own single story of the West, claiming that there are no foreigners in these books, nobody to relate to her life in Nigeria.
Adichie discovers African books, explaining how hard they were to discover and how there weren’t many around. Reading these books Adichie finally related to the books she was reading and realized something about herself. She can’t connect herself to the authors of these Western books. She couldn’t be like them. Not only did Adichie’s eye’s open up more to African literature, but she began to write things that she recognized more.
With the single story she developed, she never knew that people like her could also write in literature and be displayed in them. Adichie uses more of her life experiences to show the single stories she had created on certain topics. For instance, a houseboy who used to take care of her family. Her mother had told her that the boy was from a poor village, and that wasting food, items, etc. Was wrong of her, and to keep in mind what she does. Her mom’s single story ends up being false as, the houseboy may be from a poor village, but he creates beautiful works of art and stays home with family.
Adiche expresses that throughout her experiences in Africa, to moving to the United States, she has seen the effects of the single story. Even being a single story herself. Adiche explains to the audience in her TED talk that the single story is powered by power, powered by the people who share it. It’s powered by outside influence and experiences. It shows what the single story can’t control.
In my opinion, I believe everything Adiche says. The single story is by far the most dangerous thing someone can believe. It not only clouds our minds but makes us believe these false interpretations that the rest of the world has kept adding up more and more. I think it’s incredible How Adichie spreads here awareness on the single story, and what we can do to break these barriers.
