Chimamanda Adichie spoke about the danger of a single story. When she was little all she read was American literature and British literature, including characters which were white and blue eyed. As she became older, she discovered African literature books and recognized she could make her characters African in her stories she wrote. When she came to the U.S to attend a univeristy, her roommate was confused and had a single story of Africans. One of Chimamanda's professors had told her that a story she had wrote was not "aunthentically African." He said the characters were too much like him. Single stories show people as one thing, and when its repeated over and over, that is what they become. Single stories create stereoptypes. Single stories are incomplete and rob people of their dignity. They show the differences between people rather than the similarities. Stories matter and are used to empower.
Chimamanda Adichie spoke about the danger of a single story. When she was little all she read was American literature and British literature, including characters which were white and blue eyed. As she became older, she discovered African literature books and recognized she could make her characters African in her stories she wrote. When she came to the U.S to attend a univeristy, her roommate was confused and had a single story of Africans. One of Chimamanda's professors had told her that a story she had wrote was not "aunthentically African." He said the characters were too much like him. Single stories show people as one thing, and when its repeated over and over, that is what they become. Single stories create stereoptypes. Single stories are incomplete and rob people of their dignity. They show the differences between people rather than the similarities. Stories matter and are used to empower.
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