Individual Reading
Book: “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013).
- to skim (in the book — skimmed pages) — to move quickly, and almost or just touch the surface of something
- forbearing (in the book — forbearing tone)— patient and forgiving
- to evaporate — if feelings evaporate, they disappear
- haughty — showing that you think you are much better or more important than other people
- halo — a gold circle of light that is shown around the head of a holy person in a painting
- deftly — quick and showing great skill
- augury — a sign of what might happen in the future
- to curtail — to reduce, limit, or stop something
- perverse — strange and not what most people would expect or enjoy
- remorse — the feeling that you are sorry for something bad that you have done
I personally enjoyed how the author showed some African characters (e.g. Aisha) through their use of English grammar:
“I want marry one. But this thing is true?”
“My sister say it is true. Igbo marry Igbo always”
“She know many Igbo people in Africa. She sell cloth.”
“How long you in America?”
“I want you see my men. I call them. They come and you see them. First I call Chijioke. He work cab driver. Then Emeka. He work security. You see them.”
Moreover, I was moved by the quote:
“Why do you say Africa instead of just saying the country you mean?” Ifemelu asked.
Aisha clucked. “You don’t know America. You say Senegal and American people, they say, Where is that? My friend from Burkina Faso, they ask her, your country in Latin America?”
I personally think that it is a great issue not only for the US, but for the whole world in general, that people are unaware of continents and countries, especially African ones. This quote shows us that Americans do not differentiate or just simply do not know African countries, and, even more, mess them up with Latin American ones.
It was also interesting for me that the main character, Ifemelu, being an African herself, questions why other Africans do not specify places they are from. I was actually curious was it because she had been living in the USA for a long time or for some other reason did not feel her closeness with other Africans?
