If I were to put Americanah into three words I would say it is a cultural awakening masterpiece. Aside from touching on key aspects involving social and racial topics, I found Americanah unbelievably funny. Okay, I should probably mention what this novel is about before saying how much I love it! I think that makes more sense, doesn't it?
"Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland."
Some Of My Favorite Quotes
“How easy it was to lie to strangers, to create with strangers the versions of our lives we imagined.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
“Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I'm Jamaican or I'm Ghanaian. America doesn't care.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
“And her joy would become a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her, as though looking for an opening to fly away.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
“And her joy would become a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her, as though looking for an opening to fly away.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
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I
believe the reason I am so connected to this novel is because of my own life
experience. Growing up in Nigeria (moving around) then eventually schooling in
the U.S. showed me how America perceives race compared to other nations. This
novel does not only talk about the social issues in America although the title
does say "America-nah" it branches out to talk about the social
issues in the UK as well as in Nigeria.
Adichie
really opened my eyes to topics that are always swept under the rug or people
feel too uncomfortable to talk about so they let it sit in the air awkwardly
and pretend these topics do not exist. Even though Adichie brings up the topics
of social inequality, race, class, cultural clashes and much more—She embeds
these topics into the lives of Ifemelu, Obinze and many more wonderfully
written characters in a realistic and funny manner. This novel does not just
list the wrongs and the glitches in our societies, it walks you through them to
create an understanding without pointing any fingers or blaming anyone.
All
in all I strongly feel that Americanah is remarkable. One might say I am a bit
biased because I'm a Nigerian-American that read a book that covers subjects about Nigeria and America therefore I have a greater liking to this novel. Although
I completely disagree. If I were simply an individual that had a
fascination with different cultures, people's lives, social issues, I would
still pick up Americanah and have the same appreciation for it. Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie as written another wonderful novel that can relate equally to the
niche groups as well as the masses.