Analysis Of The Novel Americanah By Chimamanda Ngozi...

In Americanah, a novel written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, some characters in the novel face obstacles when coming to terms with their identities. Most prominently, the main character, Ifemelu, undergoes a rough transition when she moves from Nigeria to America and back after thirteen years. Different elements in the novel show what factors came into play when the characters were attempting to find themselves. Both â€Å"African Hybrids: Exploring Afropolitan identity formation in Taiye Selasi’s Ghana must go and Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah† by Emelda /Ucham and Jairos Kangira and â€Å"Searching for One’s Self at the Crossroads of the Cosmopolitan World: Determining the Importance of Roots for Those Who Travel through Diversities in Chimamanda†¦show more content†¦Although rejecting American customs at first, Ifemelu starts giving in and isolates herself from people in Nigeria, especially her boyfriend Obinze. In order to get a job, Ifemelu also relaxes her hair, mainly because â€Å"it is the closest thing to being like a white person’s hair† (Kangira 48). Even though the article focuses on Ifemelu’s negative opinions of America, she seems to enjoy the academic part of her time and is â€Å"thrilled that she could disagree with professors and get, in return, not a scolding about being disrespectful† (Kangira 48). Furthermore, Ifemelu’s exposure to race in America influences her to start her lifestyle blog, another positive aspect of her move. These changes bring Ifemelu further away from her true identity. Eventually, she cuts her hair despite initial protest, and becomes comfortable with her natural hair. Additionally, Ifemelu stops faking an American accent because she does not think â€Å"it was an accomplishment to sound American† after talking to a telemarketer on the phone (Kangira 48). Despite gaining acceptance of herself in America, Ifemelu feels that â€Å"Nigeria became where she was supposed to be, the only place she could sink her roots in without the constant urge to tug them out and shake off the soil† (Adichie 7). Even though she has lived for 13 years in America, Ifemelu feels a longing for Nigeria,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of S Americanah Through A Post Colonial Prism4297 Words   |  18 PagesFaniyi 15 Kayode Faniyi 129013097 Dr. Solomon Azumurana ENG 894 REFRACTING CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S AMERICANAH THROUGH A POST-COLONIAL PRISM 1. Introduction Respected Marxist critic Frederic Jameson once described every instance of â€Å"third world literature† as necessarily nationally allegorical (69), an assertion spectacularly assailed by Aijaz Ahmad (77-82). But it is possible to close our eyes to Ahmad’s very valid misgivings and take a bird’s eye view of Jameson’s assertion: read in reaction