Danger of a single story Flashcards
Flashcard 1: About the Text
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Speech (TED Talk, 2009)
Main Idea: Adichie discusses how hearing only one perspective about a group of people leads to stereotypes and misunderstandings.
Context: Based on her experiences as a Nigerian studying in the USA.
What is a Single Story?
A single story is a one-sided narrative that leads to stereotypes.
It reduces a culture or people to one simplified idea.
A single story is often shaped by who has power in society.
Structure of the Speech
Anecdotes – Personal stories make the speech engaging.
Contrast – Highlights differences between reality and stereotypes.
Repetition – Reinforces key ideas (e.g., “single story”).
Rhetorical Questions – Involves the audience in critical thinking.
Direct Address – Uses “we” and “you” to create connection.
Q: How does Adichie illustrate the impact of a single story?
A: She describes how her American roommate assumed she:
Couldn’t use a stove.
Listened only to traditional African music.
Grew up in extreme poverty.
This shows how media representations shape stereotypes.
Q: How does Adichie link power to storytelling?
A: Those in power determine which stories are told. The dominant group controls narratives, reinforcing stereotypes.
🔹 Quote: “Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”🔹 Technique: Repetition (“one thing”) emphasizes how repeated narratives shape perceptions.
Q: How did Adichie’s childhood reading shape her early writing?
A: She only read British and American books, so her early stories featured Western characters in settings unfamiliar to her.
🔹 Quote: “I did not know that people like me could exist in literature.”🔹 Technique: Personal anecdote highlights colonial influence on literature.
Q: How does Western media contribute to stereotypes?
A: Western media portrays Africa as a place of poverty, war, and disaster, ignoring its diversity and success stories.
🔹 Quote: “If I had not grown up in Nigeria, and if all I knew about Africa were from popular images, I too would think that Africa was a place of beautiful landscapes, animals, and incomprehensible people fighting senseless wars.”
🔹 Technique: Hypothetical scenario challenges how media influences perception.
Q: What example does Adichie give about her own single story?
A: She admits that she only saw Mexicans as illegal immigrants due to media representation. When she visited Mexico, she saw a fuller, more complex reality.
🔹 Quote: “I realized that I had been so immersed in the media coverage of Mexicans that they had become one thing in my mind.”🔹 Technique: Self-reflection highlights how anyone can be influenced by a single story.
Q: What does Adichie say about colonial influence on African narratives?
A: Colonial rule erased African voices in literature. Africans saw themselves through Western perspectives, making their own stories seem unimportant.
🔹 Quote: “Because of America’s cultural and economic power, I had consumed a single story of what books are.”🔹 Technique: Contrast between “cultural and economic power” and “single story” shows how dominance controls narratives.
Q: What does Adichie encourage people to do?
A:
✔ Seek out multiple perspectives.✔ Be aware of biases in storytelling.✔ Read and listen to stories from different cultures.
🔹 Quote: “When we reject the single story, we regain a kind of paradise.”🔹 Technique: Metaphor (“paradise”) suggests that diverse perspectives enrich our understanding of the world.
Q: How does Adichie make her speech engaging?
A:
✔ Anecdotes – Personal stories make the speech relatable.✔ Contrast – Shows the gap between reality and stereotypes.✔ Repetition – Reinforces key ideas (e.g., “single story”).✔ Rhetorical Questions – Engages the audience (“What if my roommate knew about Nollywood?”).✔ Direct Address – Uses “we” and “you” to involve listeners.✔ Humor – Lightens the speech while making serious points.
Q: What is the final message of The Danger of a Single Story?
A: She urges people to challenge stereotypes, seek multiple perspectives, and recognize the power of storytelling in shaping reality.
🔹 Quote: “Stories matter. Many stories matter.”🔹 Technique: Short sentences emphasize the power of storytelling.
