The Thing Around Your Neck

What I need to revise A private Experience Ghosts Jumping Monkey Hill The Thing Around Your Neck The Shivering The Arrangers of Marriage

Essay Topics Text Response 1. To what extent does immigration and dislocation shape the relationships in The Thing Around Your Neck?Comment by Windows User: Disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state Nigerian women within the collection of stories feel more reliant on their husbands than ever, showing the nature of their love not natural but necessary as the women are completely dependent on them. 2. Adichies stories suggest that true cultural understanding is not possible. Do you agree? 3. This is agenda writing, it isnt a real story of real people. Is this an accurate description of Adichies collection? Adichies collection explores the life of many Nigerian women and families, not just one or two. The fact that each story goes through its own dilemma, different consequences, location and classes shows to the reader that 4. Adichies characters are motivated by a desire to belong. Discuss. 5. How does Adichie use particular narrative perspectives to convey meaning in her stories? 6. At night something would wrap itself around your neck, something that very nearly choked you before you fell asleep. What restricts Adichies characters? 7. The Thing Around Your Neck shows that despite education and achievements, Nigerian women are still limited by their gender. Discuss. 8. Adichies stories are characterised by an absence of hope. Do you agree? 9. How does Adichie contrast Nigeria with America? Although Nigeria is somewhat portrayed as a corrupt nation, nevertheless, it is shown to have a rich culture, family values and an idealistic view in terms of the descriptions associated with the country. The American Dream reality that is unattainable by the characters within the collection of stories shows the shallowness of the western civilisation. 10. If you want to get anywhere you have to be as mainstream as possible. How far do Adichies stories show this to be true? What is the difference between assimilation and integration? When one is assimilated, it means that they are absorbed into the environment around them. In context to the novel, this means that they adapt to the American way of thinking and culture. What is the danger of a single story? You have a certain perception of people before even getting to know them How does what Adichie is saying in this TED talk connect with the stories we have read so far? A lot of the stories express the same themes, eating mangoes and describing the weather ( the summer in Tomorrow is Too Far) The families in the stories are middle class Aspects of Western literature is incorporated into the stories Adichie explores a loss of hope through her anthology, depicting Nigerian women who despite attempts to take charge of their situation are unable to remove themselves from male figures in their life. How is Chinaza shown to be powerless, lacking a voice? My husband Settling his heavy body on top of mine crushed his mouth down on mine I did not remind them that I wanted to take the JAMB exam again (Pg 170) A Private Experience What is Adichie saying about religious, ethnic, gender personal identities?

Questions to think about What emotion most clearly dominated the main character? How does this book fit with the authors whole body of work? How do the principle antagonists in the book view the world differently?What to Annotate Key concerns Setting Characters/Character relationships Literacy devices contrasts, repetition, narrative voice, time shifts, shadows, significance of titles General Knowledge about the Book Comprises of 12 short stories Adichie travelled to United States to attend college All the narrators are females and unnamed, symbolising the silent witness mindset the gender inequality and the unimportance of females Polysyndeton Deliberate use of many conjunctions There is a distinct connection between those who are more Westernised and those who are perceived as intelligent

1. List and identify as many literary devices featured in Adichies stories? Can you find examples and explain effect? 2. Write views and values statements for this topic Essay Topic: How does Adichie use particular narrative style and perspective to convey meaning in her stories? Questions to consider: How does her approach vary from story to story? Are there common features in many of the narrative perspectives she chooses? Which 3-4 stories have the most distinctive narrative perspectives? (Choose stories that vary from each other) Look at each one what distinctive features do they have and what is the effect on the meaning?Cell One Adichie builds suspense in the story as she creates a sense of fear from the words Cell One from the beginning, this keeps the reader intrigued for the duration of the story The narrator who is the sister is unnamed for the entire story Comment by Windows User: Detachment of the narrator is symbolic of her lack of agency within her family It surprised me, this little victory Sister Comment by Windows User: Appears that females are never heard Gender inequality What emotion most clearly dominated the main character Comment by Windows User: Frustration with her brother and the free rides every time he does something wrong Still, admiration for her brother If they do not find the person they are looking for, they will lock up his father or his mother or his relative Mother Comment by Windows User: Shows police corruption Corruption within the system Connection to Tomorrow is Too Far Comment by Windows User: In both short stories, the boy is glorified in each family The girl isnt heard The treatment of the mothers to the sons in each novelBoy is over indulged in each Literary Devices Comment by Windows User: First person Tone Unnamed narrator On highlighted section bottom of page 7, top of page 8. Long sentences to signify the fact that the cult wars are never-ending. Like shes reading a news report Comparison within the novel. The brother starts off as popular, stealing from his family. The end of the novel he becomes a defender for the innocent (when the old man was tormented in prison) I didnt care. I didnt shut up. So they pulled me out and beat me and took me to Cell One Comment by Windows User: Example of Nnamabias rebellious nature Non-conformist I saw my brothers eyes fill with tears my worldly brother and I felt a tenderness for him that I could not have explained had I been asked to Comment by Windows User: Admiration for her brother Hints in the short story that the characters in the novel had been westernized, from the colonisation. Subtle hints that corruption in the community had commenced as a result of colonisation Comment by Windows User: Page 1 Stole our TV, our VCR, and the Purple Rain and Thriller videotapes my father had brought back from America Page 5 Boys who had grown up watching Sesame Street, reading Enid Blyton, eating cornflakes for breakfast, attending the university staff primary school in smart polished brown sandals Page 7 Eighteen-year-olds who had mastered the swagger of American rap videos were undergoing secret and strange initiations Use of Igbo (Language)Comment by Windows User: Also westernized, there are still hints Nigerian culture throughout the novel Nnamabias father feels helpless Comment by Windows User: I didnt think Nnamabia would tell the truth, and I dont think my father thought he would, either, but he liked reports, my professor father. He liked things written down and nicely documented What else could my father have done? After Nnamabia wrote the report, my father filed it in the steel drawer in his study where he kept our school papers Nnamabias mothers values are skewed, likes to avoid the conflict of issues Comment by Windows User: How much did they give you for my gold?I wanted to slap her Nnamabias sister is very critical of her parents Bribing the police with rice Contrast of Nigerian settings Comment by Windows User: Cluster of half-burned cars at the end of the compound, the remnants of accidents Page 15 Shift in Nnamabia, speaking in English he had a theatrical aspect whereas when he speaks Igbo there is a feeling of honesty and connection to his real self Comment by Windows User: Nnamabia began to speak almost immediately, as if he had been waiting to be asked. His Igbo was even-toned Cell One is feared throughout the story Comment by Windows User: Connection to George Orwells Room 101 A Private Experience This story contrasts the others within the anthology as it portrays two women together finally comfortable enough to share their lives, succusses and fears. Shows a different perspective rather than women just subjected to their home life and families One woman is Christian and the other is Muslim, yet it shows that the women arent the ones igniting the conflict Also portrays their lack of agency, as women they have obviously been forced into this situation that neither had control over. She is thinking of her necklace, plastic beads threaded on a piece of stringComment by Windows User: Chikas initial perception stereotypes the Muslim woman as not as sophisticated Theres a sense of snobbery from the Christian woman Ghosts- Ghosts may be symbolic of the fact that those that speak Igbo believe that the supernatural exist, that ancestors will watch over Narrated by a man well educated Comment by Windows User: The only story throughout the anthology that is narrated by a man and the only one that describes his education and success I am supposed to have armed myself with enough science to laugh indulgently at the ways of my people Comment by Windows User: Shows that within the Western society he has to put on an act Although he has attempted to assimilate, he still finds contradictions with what he believes and what hes supposed to be believe Inclusive words such as our show that he views his wife on the same level as himself Comment by Windows User: Also uses our to express Nigeria, this shows that he has an emotional connection to his home The education minister stole all the money Comment by Windows User: Shows the embezzlement

On Monday of Last Week The short story has been written in second person, again the female narrator has not been named to mark the lesser importance of women within the entire novel She remembered how they had woken up the next morning with onions heavy on their breath. She remembered, too, how their relationship had been filled with effortless ease. Now, their silences were awkward.Comment by Windows User: Anaphora Repetition of the same words of phrase at the start of successive sentences Like the American Dream, trying to act like a perfectionist Comment by Windows User: Cans of herbal tea had filled that space two weeks ago, when Neil was reading Herbal Drinks for Children, and before that, it was soy beverages, and before that, protein shakes for growing bones The assumption that Nigerian women do not possess any skill or education Comment by Windows User: it annoyed her, his surprise, his assumption that English was somehow his personal property although Tobechi had warned her not to mention her education, she told Neil that she had a masters degree From both ends there are racial stereotypes Comment by Windows User: Prehaps Neil had killed her and stuffed her in a trunk; Karmara had spent the past months watching Court TV and had learned how crazy these Americans were page 77 Jumping Monkey Hill Third Person Set in South Africa Edward Campbell Comment by Windows User: Doesnt have much of an insight into South Africa Baboon Lodge and Porcupine Place Comment by Windows User: These animals arent indigenous to the nation Lack of understand, empathy of the region and the culture The Thing Around Your Neck You thought everybody in America had a big car and a gun Comment by Windows User: American dream perception Big car symbolises wealth Gun symbolises power Visa lottery Comment by Windows User: Getting a visa is like a windfall of wealth The uncle wasnt hired for her skills but merely so the company would look diverse, culturally diverse Male characters assimilate give up their values and views to fit in with the American culture Views and Values Comment by Windows User: Men are able to assimilate quite easy into any culture whereas women find it more difficult to integrate Adichie shows that class can privde the deepest conflict culture and family ties are stronger than desire for wealth and opportunity The American Dream is quite shallow Adichie highlights the disparity between the American dream and the reality for Nigerian migrants Adichie expresses how the Nigerian want for the American dream suppresses the family ties Adichie emphasises that with wealth and comfort comes negative consequences loss of values and integrity The American Embassy Presented in Second Person A woman tells of her familys story whilst waiting for asylum within America Seeking the American dream but comes to the realisation that she doesnt want to give up her culture Im Ugonnas mother Comment by Windows User: Isnt known by her name but known as am mother Her son was a positive influence on her life She wanted to go back to their ancestral hometown Comment by Windows User: Wants to maintain that connection she has as a mother Two views on the editors and then her perspective Comment by Windows User: Palm oil but doesnt mention the blood, she is in denial about his death Creative shuttling between the actual narration and reminiscences The Shivering The Arrangers of Marriage I had imagined a smooth driveway snaking between cucumber-coloured lawns, a door leading into a hallway, walls with sedate paintings Comment by Windows User: American dream But none of my responses would register, they would ask just to ask Comment by Windows User: She never gets listened too Ofodiles mother was looking for a wife for him Comment by Windows User: Never about what the woman wants, always the men Females are unimportant, their aspirations and goals are valued less than men \Comment by Windows User: I did not remind them that I wanted to take the JAMB exam again and try for the university, that while going back to secondary school I had sold more bread in Aunty Adas bakery than all other bakeries in Enugu sold, that the furniture and floors in the house shone because of me Dave is obsessed with the Westernised ways and fitting into the American culture She is able to stick up for herself in the end Tomorrow Is Too Far Comment by Windows User: Wont come quick enough Need to act nowSense of urgency Link to the snake Written in second person Comment by Windows User: The use of second person limited narration of privileges her perspective so we experience her feeling of injustice and disempowerment The fact we dont know the girl whose narratings name means that its signifying the lack of importance for females Gender inequality Summer before your parents divorce, before your mother swore you would never again set foot in Nigeria to see your fathers family Comment by Windows User: Last summer before change Grandmama let only your brother Nonso climb the trees to shake a loaded branch Comment by Windows User: Gender inequality Cultural values Biblical illusion, Snake was called echi eteka, Tomorrow Is Too Far Comment by Windows User: Relates to the Garden of Eden Silver rain fantasy like Both the grandma and mum favour Nonso Avocado Comment by Windows User: Symbol of love and beauty Due to cultural values, Nigerian women defined by their roles and their relationships with others. The emphasis within Nigerian society that males are more important than females is evident in Adiches short story, Tomorrow is Too Far, her female protagonist is unnamed, her lack of identity emphasised. Female protagonist attempts to take control of her life The Headstrong Historian Womens successes have to be kept hidden in case it compromised the masculinity of a man Comment by Windows User: Headstrong daughter who had once wrestled her brother to the ground. (After which her father had warned everybody not to let the news leave the compound that the girl had thrown a boy) He would not marry another wife until they were old, so that they would have somebody to care for them Comment by Windows User: Shows cultural values within Nigeria Set in the 1800s Pre-colonisation Husband dies from suspicious circumstances Comment by Windows User: Shows Nigerian corruption that was present before and after colonisation Circular narration Comment by Windows User: Unlike the other stories, this shifts between generations, coming a lifetime rather than just a short period Comment by Windows User: Nwamgba Obierika Anikwenwa Mgbeke Nnamdi AfamefumaOkafo Okoye Characters within The Headstrong Historian

Views and values Adichie condemns rigidly defined gender roles which she views as limiting. (particularly for women) and instead shows how empowering it can be when women defy socially prescribed roles Adichie highlights how gender roles are socially constructed and situation (specific to time and place) Adichie emphasises the importance of a strong connection to the past and tradition, yet she also presents the need for culture to evolve. She is aware of the flaws in Nigerian culture and suggests change is possible/can be positive Adichie demonstrates that transgression of societal rules is destructive to a persons integrity Adichie challenges the irrationality of colonisers and the fear of African people due to the stereotypes that Africans are cannibals which is placed on Africa Adichie warns that a lack of hope can often result from other people who stifle others and remove their sense of agency Adichie believes hope can be found when people can take control of their own lives and are aware of their options Adichie shows that despite being vulnerable to external influences, like sexism and colonisalism, by developing a sense of agency in their lives, the characters gain control generating a sense of optimism as they become independent people A