Ifemelu's Influence On Americah

Ifemulu the protagonist in Americanah was given advice about not wearing her natural hair as a relaxer would make her look more sophisticated and professional. The first time Ifemulu was given this advice it was from her Aunt Uju when she first arrived from Nigeria. When she heard it for the second time, she had been in the U.S. long enough to form an opinion on whether or not that advice actually might ring true. For the first time it dawns on Ifemulu that hair and employability are related and that is precisely the train of thought that Adichie wanted to address when she made the conversation of hair such a major part of the novel. The fact that hair is not just hair and that the conversation surrounding it will always be a political one. Just like Ifemulu, Bell had received the same advice in regards to wearing her hair in braids for an interview at Yale. Unlike Ifemulu, Bell ignored the advice and still got the job despite the braids and no mention was made at all about her hairstyle. She warned others that, “We do not always need to surrender our power to be self-defining to succeed in an endeavour.” Adichie vividly describes in great detail the process in which Ifemulu goes through that relaxation process, one that requires slathering strong chemicals onto her hair in order to permanently alter the texture and curl pattern of her hair. Her at home attempt didn't take and so she had to go to a professional to remedy the damage she made. Adichie

The personal narrative “Born in Amrika” (2003) by Mona M. Maisami speculates that children of Iranian originated parents struggle between culturally identifying themselves as American or Iranian. Maisami develops her main idea by narrating through the point of view of a young girl born in America interacting with her Iranian born cousin Nina. Throughout the story, Nina and her cousin encounter various differing cultural phenomena such as dress and meal rituals before realizing they can adapt to both cultures at the same time. This short story highlights these two different lifestyles in order to emphasize the way American citizens with overseas connections question their character because of their newly adopted home. In hopes to reach out to

In the poem, Home by Pauline Kaldas, upon moving to Boston, the speaker expresses her longing for her hometown. She misses the atmosphere, the crowdedness, and the food that Cairo, her indigenous hometown possesses. The poem conveys that no matter where one goes to, it will never feel as sound and as delightful as home.

This novel is the definitive tragic model about the dissolution of the African Ibo culture by Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo, a great and heroic leader, is doomed by his inflexibility and hubris. He is driven by fear of failure.

While reading Joan Didion’s essay “On Going Home” one may be reminded of a sense of home and family. In this essay Didion recreates the feeling one gets when one visits a place from the past or while reminiscing about fond memories. This memory is marked by the reflective thought about the ability to be able to pass this same sense on to another. Didion’s “On Going Home” is like a flood of warm memories leaving you with a single reflective thought.

“Home” is something that people desire to have; one often looks to other people and places in an attempt to fulfill this desire. Most people characterize themselves based upon their home and therefore transform their identity, whether it be because they are trying to conceal their home or trying to flaunt it. In both The Glass Castle, by Julia Walls, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, the protagonists’ identities are affected by their own perception of home. Through these two novels, the authors emphasize the importance of a stable home, as well as the internal struggle of following your desires to shape your identity.

“They have meetings every Sunday and I saw Nwoye at one of them.” Obierika waited Okonkwo’s response but Okonkwo said nothing. He told his friend, he did not wish to speak about Nwoye as he had disowned him. Obierika nodded his head like a rocking chair in agreement to let Okonkwo know that he understood. The day had come and gone but Okonkwo still refused to speak about Nwoye. Just then, Nwoye walked into his father’s compound with fear

Ines Hernandez-Avila’s article, “Relocations upon Relocations: Home, Language, and Native American Women’s Writings” argues that Native American women are negotiating their own terms as they attempt to reestablish their cultural identities. Native American women often overcome abuse, alcoholism, rape and other atrocities, serving as important topics discussed in their poetry. Another argument addressed in the article states that the concepts of home and community are fluid for many Native American poets. Because of Native American enslavement and exile, many poets discuss how their ancestors consider their homes to be wherever they can gather and share their common experiences and language. The final argument made in the article examines how relocation, particularly the policies that sent Native Americans away

American society has a several ethnic group mixed together in one country. Many People immigrate from their country into America to achieve things aren 't exist their country, Like better life, job opportunities education, and freedom. One of these ethnic groups is Nigerian who is living in America. they had come to U.S long time ago by different ways. First, they brought America as slaves. and second they immigrate into U.S to change their life from bad to better.

They say that home is where the heart is, but they are wrong. Home is where you are accepted amongst your peers, it is where you have people who love and support you. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior, a young native teenager, faces the dilemma of belonging in Reardan, a white town that he transferred schools to, or Wellpinit, the Indian Reservation where he was born and raised. In Reardan, he has many more friends than he ever had in the 14 years he lived in Wellpinit, and he does not get beat-up or called names. Furthermore, in Reardan, he has a huge outpouring of support from all the people who live there and watch his basketball games.

In Nigeria, Aunty Uju is Ifemelu’s role model and influences her regard towards America. In this time period before America is involved in Ifemelu’s life in any capacity, Adichie’s characterization of Aunty Uju is indicative of life in Nigeria and how happy and hopeful it is for both women. There are issues, regarding Ifemelu’s family life and Uju’s financial security through The General, but ultimately they are happy with their lives and their relationship is

When she is asked about it, she calms him by clarifying that its totally normal and expected. This shows that embracing the American beauty standards is very important to Ifemelu and sheś willing to go to great lengths to achieve that. To many it seems like just a hairstyle change but Ifemelu is transforming herself and giving up an essential part of what it means to “look like an African American”. The love that she had for her own kinky hair in the beginning of the story symbolized her love for her heritage and who she really was, and when she changed that, she changed herself.

believes the sense of connection to her big family in Middle East crucial to her existence. As she writes in Gravities of Ancestry, her mind wonders to West Bank to her grandmother while she sits in Texas

Jay’s definition of “home” is affected by the social context surrounding Asian citizens during this time period in Uganda. He continuously has fond memories of his homeland while ignoring the fact that there was a broader reason as to why Indians were brought into Uganda in the first place. This then places him in the position of a settler rather than a local citizen in Uganda. Being displaced by the government and being forced to move to the United States only creates a greater distance between his ideal homeland versus the one he has to live with. His definition of “home” originally started out as a concrete location that he settled in and grew up in, but this concept of home became more abstract and less concrete after he revisited Kampala

Because Ifemelu is not born in America, she discovers race and racial inequality when she moves there as a result of receiving a Princeton fellowship. In Nigeria, there is no talk about race. Everyone is seen as Nigerian because they are born there. Ifemelu explains that “[She] came from a country where race was not an issue; [she] did not think of [herself] as black and [she] only became black when [she] came to America” (359). Her expectations of America areis that there are great educational opportunities and plenty of jobs, but what she discovers is racial