Thing around your neck themes and stuff

Relationships and marriage | Family | Prejudice and racism | Violence and corruption | Abuse of power and women. | | Tomorrow is too far- Nonso, Dozie and the sister (the unnamed protagonist)Cell one- the family | Thing around your neck- “America is seen as a place with complicated politics” Akunna, second person narrator arrives in America after winning the America visa lottery P.115… she ends up with her family in a small white town in Maine where she works with a company who employed him because they were desperately trying to look diverse | VIOLENCE
A private experience, Ghosts, American embassy- all deal directly with individuals who lose children (and a sister) because of violence… Adiche uses this to hit readers hard with the message of the disastrous effects of this violence.A private experience- ethnic tensions between Hausa Muslims and Igbo Christians in the 1990s during general Abachas presidency.The American embassy- the violence here is more personal. The corrupt government send soldiers to take the radical journalist and instead they kill his young son.Adiche is clearly positioning her readers to despise volume and corruption.CORRUPTIONGhosts- James beloved wife died as a result of someone selling expired medicine and his pension has never been released by the university.Cell one- Nnamabias family are forced to accept the way they are treated by the police in hope that by not complaining they might be allowed to keep helping their son | The women are well educates and professional but they are often trapped in situations beyond their control.Cell one & Tomorrow is too far- explored favouritism of sons over daughters with varying consequences.Jumping monkey hill- young Nigerian writer, Ujumwa writes a story documenting her own experiences of abuse and discrimination in the workplace.Arrangers of marriage-Chinza submits to an arrange marriage, trying to escape from the domestic slavery of working for her aunt and uncle in their bakery, instead of sitting the examinations she wanted to. Sadly for Chinza, she just moves to another slaved position but her husband instead The headstrong historian- contextualises secondary place of woman in parts of Nigerian history. Nwamgka is a strong and intelligent women. Her place in society was producing offspring and looking after the men. It is not until her granddaughters generation that this starts to change | Belonging and alienation | Cultural identity | Religion | | Text deals with issues of immigration and colonialism. It also deals with issues of belonging and alienation, of cultural identity and loss.Adiches characters move from one continent to another; they struggle to fit in and find their place.Differences- Language- English, American English, Igbo, Hausa , PidginGhosts- James grandson is being brought up in America and he worries about his grandson who does not speak IgboHeadstrong historian- learning the language of the oppressors is first seen as a way of gaining power but later it becomes a symbol of loss of cultural identity.Arrangers of marriage- Chinaza husband corrects her use of English to inclusive American idioms. | Idea of African (usually Nigerian) identity is central to most of these stories, especially those set in America. The characters have the chance to see their culture from a distance.Being Nigerian in Africa- many of the stories portray experiences of being Nigerian in Nigeria. We see the impact of Nigerian culture, the individuals are mainly Igbo and often Christian, but some characters belong to other ethnic/ religious groups E.g. Hausa muslimCell one, a private experience, ghosts, the American embassy- demonstrate the day to day impact of civil unrest, violence and war in a volatile country.Conflicts are Political, racial and religious.The headstrong historian- explore more domestic experiences of Nigerian life. E.g. visiting an Oracle, communicating with the women’s council, collecting clay and herbs, attending coming of ae ceremonies Immigration; Nigerian in America. The text looks at the notion of cultural identity is by focusing in characters in who are displaced. Removed from their traditional backgrounds families and traditions and have resettled with a new culture.The thing around your neck- examines the American culture from an outsiders perspective The American embassy- displays the notion of desirability of escaping Nigerian for America | Is present in the stories A private experience- Chika and the Hausa women.The shivering- Ukamaka and ChineduThe headstrong historian- Anikwenwa and NwamgbaCell one- religion is an element in their lives that is taking for grantedThe collection suggests that religion is a central part of Nigerian existenceReligious difference is responsible for conflict and violence, such as in ‘A private experience’ while religious difference outside the store is leading to extreme violence, inside the Christian women observe a respectful silence. This shows that Adiches characters attempting to respect one another’s differences. The shivering- demonstrates a tolerance for difference’s too. | |