Danger of a single story Flashcards
(30 cards)
Topic sentence about media
Adichie … how single … are often … through … or biased … such as l… and the m…
Adichie explores how single stories are often formed through limited or biased sources such as literature and the media
Adichie explores how single stories are often formed through limited or biased sources such as literature and the media
Literature:
-she only read British and American books as a child
-she believed only foreign characters and lifestyles wore worthy of being written about
-literature subconsciously influences perception
-highlights lack of diverse representation in books
Media:
-African countries are portrayed negatively through the eyes of the media
-focus on poverty war and suffering
-manipulates our understanding of culture
-people form cultural expectations
-easy to believe stereotypes
-media is powerful and persuasive
Adichie explores how single stories are often formed through limited or biased sources such as literature and the media
QUOTES
Literature:
“my characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow, they ate apples, …”
-visual imagery
-creates clear vivid images associated with western culture
-symbolism
-western culture dominates global storytelling
“I had become convinced that books by their very nature had to have foreigners in them”
“about things which I could not personally identify”
-“I”, first person narrative, personal, reflective
Media:
“tribal music”
-uses humour to disarm the audience
-highlights absurdity of the stereotype
“if all I knew about Africa were popular images, I too would think Africa was a place of …. incomprehensible people, senseless wars…..”
“Endless stories of Mexicans as people who were fleecing the healthcare system, sneaking across the border…..”
“I has been so immersed in the media coverage of Mexicans”
Topic sentence about the structure of speech from stories to global issues
The … of the … - moving from … experiences to … global l.. - helps build a … argument about the … impact of narrow …
The structure of the speech - moving from personal experiences to broader global issues - helps build a persuasive argument about the universal impact of narrow narratives.
Topic sentence about her own reflection
Adichie … on how … own … were … as she … to holding a … story
Adichie reflects on how her own views were challenged as she admits to holding a single story
Topic sentence about chronological order and childhood
Adichie … her speech …, beginning with her … to show how … experiences … our … of the …
Adichie structures her speech chronologically, beginning with her childhood to show how early experiences shape our understanding of the world
“I discovered African books”
-verb “discovered” infers they were not offered to or available for h3
-she had to seek them out
-shows literature is dominated by western culture
“She assumed that I did not know how to use a stove”
-line is isolated in a single paragraph
—>conveys her shock at her roommates notion that she was not smart enough
-the verb “assumed” heightens the fact that her roommate made the judgment without evidence
-highlighting stereotypes
“Whose kinky hair could not form ponytails”
-“could not” shows the effort to conform with western beauty standards
“About things which I could not personally identify”
-use of first-person pronoun “I” makes the experience seem personal and reflective
-sense of intimacy and credibility
—>helping the audience to connect emotionally with her
-verb “identify” emphasises how she feels alienated
-adverb “personally” highlights the stories have nothing to do with her life
My characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow, they ate apples…”
-uses phrases like “white and blue eyed”, “snow”, and “apples” to create clear vivid imagery and symbolises western culture
-very different to what she is used to
“I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading”
-the repetitions of “I” at the start of both clauses creates a parallel structure
-which mirrors the cause and effect relationship of what she was exposed to and what she created
-adverb “exactly” highlights how much influence things have in children at such a young age
“Is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly children
-use of the adjectives “impressionable” and “vulnerable” use emotive language
-“impressionable” suggest you people are easily influenced and shaped
-“vulnerable” suggests openness to harm or manipulation
-the use of the metaphor “in the face of a story” suggests a pressure to conform with western standards
-“particularly as children” reflects how she has acknowledged how much influence the books she read had on her
-inclusive pronoun “we” includes herself and the audience creating connection and unity, comforting those who may have been influenced
“I realised people like me, girls with skin the colour of chocolate, who’s kinky hair could not fork ponytails, could also exist in literature”
-use of person pronoun “I” emphasises the emotional impact it had on her
-the phrase “people like me” widens the scope beyond herself to other girls
-highlights shared sense of marginalisation
-the metaphor “skin the colour of chocolate” which produces a rich, positive image
-the adverb “also” asserts it right to belong and be seen in storytelling
“I did not know that people like me could exist in literature”
-personal pronoun “I” makes the statement seem intimate and reflective, highlighting her personal experiences
-the emotive language “did not know” conveys a sense of lost awareness or delayed discovery, implies it was hidden
-she was denied the chance to see herself in stories
-inclusive phrase “people like me”, is vague yet powerful
-invites others who share the same background, race, gender and ethnicity as her
-modal verb “could” suggest possibility rather than certainty, suggesting it’s rare and not common
-this is direct, honest and relatable
-challenges the audience to consider how damaging a lack of representation can be
“They stirred my imagination”
-metaphor that likens her imagination to something that can be awakened
-suggests emotions being awakened
-shows literatures power to inspire, and engage the reader regardless of cultural relevance
“It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family could actually make something”
-tone of realisation and regret, almost apologetic
-“it had not occurred to me” reflects a moment of self-awareness
-use of “anybody” generalises a group of people based on a single narrative
-demonstrates how a single story can create a large assumption
-adverb “actually” implies surprise as though she did not think they were capable of anything worth value simply because they were poor
“Tribal music”, and was consequently very disappointed when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey”
-juxtaposition between “tribal music” and “Mariah Carey” contrasts the expectations compared to the reality of mainstream western pop
-highlights absurdity of the stereotype
-Africa’s culture is associated with “tribal” inferring that is primitive
-irony is used as he roommate is “disappointed” by her normal music choice, because if doesn’t fit the expected narrative
“She felt sorry for me even before she saw me”
-emotive language, “felt sorry” converts pity which is a patronising and reductive emotion
-implies the roommate is superior and is looking down on Adichie because of her background
-irony, how can you feel sorry for someone you haven’t met , highlighting how irrational the nature of her stereotype was
-hints at prejudice disguised as compassion, which appears to be kind but is rooted with ignorance
Topic sentence about become better
Adichie recognises that resisting the single story helps reject incomplete narratives and helps expose a wide range of voices and cultural experiences.
“if all i knew about Africa were from popular images”
-conditional clause “if” introduces a hypothetical scenario allowing her to explore the limitations of having a narrow perspective
-invites the audience to effect on their own perspectives
“Use of person pronouns in “i knew” makes the point more intimate, showing that even she could be misled by a single story
-the reference to “popular images” is deliberately vague and general to suggest mass media and the stereotypes that come with it
-“popular” hints at the widespread influence of images especially in western culture
“I would see African the same way that I, as a child, has seen Fide’s family”
-the use of the first person creates a person and reflective tone
-the anecdote shows vulnerability and honesty as she too has fallen under the influence of a single story
-strengthens her credibility and connection with the audience
-the phrase “as a child”signals growth through the use of past tense implying she has learnt from this experience and has become self-aware
“I had become immersed in the media coverage”
-the past perfect of “I had been”indicates reflective reconstruction as she looks back at a period in her life where she was fooled by countless identical stories over the news
-the broad term “media coverage” invokes a whole ecosystem of misleading information, which highlights how one story can be broadcast across multiple services, underscoring the idea of a single story
-the use of the verb “immersed” becomes a metaphor for being surrounded and suffocated by a single stream of narratives
What is a danger of a single story
And informative speech
