See online : Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story

17 Book Reviews

• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 8 October 2009 08:09, author(s)-editor(s) Kathrin Heitz

  Thank you so much for this - made me cry and laugh and think. I have all her books and I will talk at the German Africanists’ Conference on her first novel and the way she reshapes our image of Africa!

  Kathrin Heitz, PhD Student in Social Anthropology, Basel/Switzerland

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  • Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 18 October 2009 21:45, author(s)-editor(s) Chinyeaka

    Thank you Kathrin for your beautiful and honest contribution. I come from the same area (ethnic group) in Nigeria as Ms Adichie though I live in Dublin Ireland now. As an Anthropology student, this attitude will be indispensable in your work and study. Thanks again

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  • Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 19 October 2009 00:56, author(s)-editor(s) Fr. Anthony Adibe

    Chimamanda Adichie, I love your story and your books. Thanks a lot for these insights. Thanks for promoting the image of Nigerian ideas and African continent at large. Keep up the good work and may The good Lord continue to guide and direct you with more wisdom and understanding in your efforts to keep telling the balanced stories. Thanks for elevating our human minds via your good works. Peace, Fr. Anthony Adibe.

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  • Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 20 October 2009 04:42, author(s)-editor(s) CHUKWUDI OKOLIE

    THIS IS GREAT. A TRUE NIGERIAN IN DIASPORA. A GIFT THAT CAN NOT BE BOUGHT WITH MONEY. YOU ARE TOO MUCH MY SISTER. KEEP IT UP.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 9 October 2009 07:14, author(s)-editor(s) Tembisa

  What she spoke about was very interesting.

  I think she is a brilliant story teller and listening to her speak about the performative role of stories was enriching.

  I always think it great when you hear people annunciate what many already know but have not yet found how best to express their voice.

  I totally agree about the necessity of taking stock of the multivocalities of worlds and stories.

  She reminds me to be ever mindful about the opinions and perceptions I formulate and also about the power structures at play in everyday realities.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 9 October 2009 22:43, author(s)-editor(s) Benn L. Bongang

  Ms. Adichie’s idea of a single story directly points to the source of misunderstanding, humiliation, and conflict in the world. The real exercise of power in the world is not only the ability to deploy weapons; it is also the ability to reduce to "a single story" the complex narratives of those the powerful seek to defeat.

  What generations of students read about the non-West - Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia - in the Western media are single stories of poverty, corruption, and brutality. And they are the students who take over leadership positions in their countries to perpetuate the domination of the West over the non-West. For non-Westerners, it is humiliating to know that the rich stories that capture their essence are simplified into mostly negative stereotypes by single stories. Without the ability to counter such reductive stories, those without the means to tell their complex stories in the non-Western world enter each competition, each negotiation with scant chances of convincing their counterparts.

  Not that the non-West have not tried. Their attempts at a New International Economic Order and at a New International Communications Order were derisively dismissed in international organizations. On the other hand, the non-West, especially states in Africa, by the corruption of their leaders and other ills continue to provide justification for the single stories told about them in the West.

  Again, Ms. Adichie’s idea should stimulate discussions about how to tell the multiple and complex stories of all people.

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  • Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 19 October 2009 15:59, author(s)-editor(s) Jerome Madumelu

    Thanks to Adichie for finding a way to put across the powerful stories that shed more light on the realities of human world. I identified completely with the whole stories and the way they were told. But the difference is that I never had the knack of presenting the story in a way that many will receive them without taking offense. Primarily, I was always hurt to hear the stories of Africa misrepresented by a single story. So, my anger, atimes, come between me and the proper way of presenting the stories in a way that will be acceptable to others. I think that Chamanda has all that it takes to put across the story in a non-offensive way. Thanks Chamanda, my sister.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 15 October 2009 12:53, author(s)-editor(s) Joe Mordi

  Ms. Adichie, thanks for this wonderful story. You have demonstrated the intellectual capacity of the average Nigerian when availed the basic education required in the formative years. Ibu ezigbo nwa afo. Gawa nno niru o.

  My best regards.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 15 October 2009 13:34, author(s)-editor(s) John Iteshi

  I refuse to join the praise singing bandwagon not because I do not appreciate Chimamanda’s beauty and talent, but simply because I do not agree with what she said in this celebrated speech! I have not seen any merit in the claim that westerners are focusing solely on our negative stories. In any case,Chimamanda was made famous by the same people she is admonishing against negative stories! In my view the western media and opinion leaders are not even focusing enough on our negative stories! I believe more negative stories about us should be told so as to spur us to development. It is our responsibility to counter the negative stories with positive developments just like the Japanese did and the Indians and Chinese are doing now. Please see, see www.johniteshi.blogspot.com for my detailed view on this topic!

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 15 October 2009 20:51, author(s)-editor(s) Martin-Edward Ohajunwa

  Ms Chimaamanda Adichie has made Africans proud. She has given steam to a discourse which has been the motivation of many African authors. What Chimaamanda has called the danger of a single story is the tragedy of "a sweeping generalization" in which many of the European ethnographers buried the rich cultural diversity, logic of thought and the oral culture of the Africans. Unfortunately, their readers have judged the Africans from such perspectives wrongly and narrowly. The need to address this danger demands a more strategic, purposeful and persistent intellectual contribution to the field of literature to correct the parochial western media and literal mind-set. Africans should write and tell the story about themselves.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 21 October 2009 15:34, author(s)-editor(s) Chukwudi okoro

  Great Daughter of Ndigbo.Your story moves me to think deeply about what we think we are as Africans, and who we show we are to other people, for so many reasons.Yes we do not have a single story.Great reflection Chimamanda.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 26 October 2009 03:13

  wow...!! this is extra-super-fanta-flambo-fabu-para-marvelous!!!

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 29 October 2009 01:34, author(s)-editor(s) Chijioke

  Chimamanda, thank you for the image redemption crusade. However, it is not just about telling a ’balanced’ story, it is about saying what really happens in Nigeria and Africa. The truth is that the events in Nigeria are not very encouraging and that the end of these undesirable events appear not to be in sight.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 30 October 2009 21:00, author(s)-editor(s) Washington Mabuto

  Your story reminds me how nice it is to be African and how we Africans should feel and believe in ourselves and live as Africans wherever we might be, without predudice. Africans are not a symbol of failure, poverty, coruption, ignorance and war. Let us Africans not look at at ourselves and say, ’What good can come out of Africa’, your message here has just proved. We might not say it but most of us are actually living that hopelessness. I did not know anything about you or your writings but I am moved. Keep up the good work.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 3 November 2009 14:40

  Wonderful Adichie!! you are yourself the image or the other image of Africa no TV or Radio wants to show or talk about. You speak truth and you are beautiful just like Africa and I love you.

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 6 November 2009 18:38, author(s)-editor(s) masala kingsley kobe

  thanks a lot adichie i have learnt so much from that. i have nothing much to say but to say thanks for representing AFRICA and we are so proud of you!

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• Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story 31 December 2009 16:56, author(s)-editor(s) kanyana

  Very nice speech ! But let us prevent ourselves from certain nice speeches.

  I think that Chimamanda is in certain way very naive. Or, maybe because she is not courageaus enough to face the concern of "single story" she doesn’t want to go further. In my point of view she focus more on the statement than on what lies down : why there are only "single stories" on us from Western medias. The question of why is a big concern. It cannot be evacuated because it is related to the White supremacy Myth. If you want to maintain your supremacy you cannot tell anything else than "single stories" on the other. We must think at what happened to Cheikh Anta Diop when he wanted to tell another story on ancient Africa. So single (and devalueting) stories on Black realities is part of anti-Black racism mecanisms.

  Of course, sometimes we only have single stories on the other by ignorance. But I don’t think that those who still feel confortable in their White supremacy artificial position are not ignorant. They have any will to hear or to tell other stories than what could make them fall from their artificial superior position! It is on purpose they still keep on telling "single stories" on Africa and Africans.

  In a certain way I agree with Iteshi comment focusing on the fact we must accept to see our dirty linens washed in public. We don’t have to hide our mediocrity or attack those who are showing it. The best way is to replace this mediocrity by excellency. But if some mental structures or any other structure of power takes benefit from this "single story", we don’t have to applaude. We should fight them, because it is only the expression of anti-Black racism.

  Chimamanda speech is not only nice of course. It is very profound. But it avoids too much to call things by their names. Those who tells only "single stories" don’t avoid anything else than the other reality. I think we Blacks we don’t do any favour to Whites in avoiding to tell them in face what is the matter of fact : the only continuation of White supremacy Myth expression.

  K.

  P.S. - I hope I have been enough comprehensible. My english is quite approximative.

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