The Danger of a Single Story Flashcards
All my characters were ‘white’ and ‘blue eyed’
Writer thinks that literature/stories are white and that it is from a different culture symbolised by the fruit + weather. Writer not exposed to literature from her culture as a child. Characters are stereotypical and not like her.
I went through a ‘mental shift’ in my perception of literature.
She realises literature is not the preserve of whites only.
She realises she can write about her own culture and experience.
‘I did not know people like me could exist in literature’
It gives her a sense of recognition + validation in terms of her identity as a black African woman.
Repetition of ‘single story’
Repeats the words in the title of speech.
Understands stories are multiple and plural not singular and that they can refer to many cultures and races.
I was ‘startled’
She had assumed that Fide’s families life was deprived as she had been told of their poverty.
She realises her internal prejudice + assumptions about poverty. Yet she realises it can be beautiful and creative.
Repetition of ‘single story’ at the end of paragraphs - Structure
Reiterates her point about the dangers of internalised assumptions.
She assumed I didn’t know how to use a stove
Shows writer’s roommate has stereotypical views and was not educated enough about other cultures except her own.
Roommate assumes writer’s life in Africa would be primitive and she didn’t know how to use a domestic cooker.
Her default position to me as an African was a kind of ‘patronising’ ‘well meaning pity’
‘well meaning pity’ - abstract noun
‘patronising’ - adjective - implies her roommate feel superior to her - prejudice stereotypical assumptions
She assumed I did not know how to use a stove.
Shows writer’s roommate has stereotypical views and was not educated enough about other cultures except her own.
Roommate assumes writer’s life in Africa would be primitive and she didn’t know how to use a domestic cooker.
‘No possibility’ of Africans- being similar to her in any - way, ‘no possibility’ of feeling being more complex than pity, ‘no possibility’ of a connection as human equals
Structure - Repetition of ‘no possibility’ - Tricolon/Anaphora - repetition of negatives to show how narrow-minded assumptions are + repetition of ‘single story’ - emphasises the dangers of a single perspective.
Perspective
Writer attempts to see things from her roommates perspective - Not judgemental
‘saved by a kind white foreigner’
Implies American superiority to Africans; that Africans need the aid.
‘I knew about Africa was from popular images’
Stereotype perpetuated + disseminated by Western media + culture.
‘sneaking’ ‘fleecing’ ‘arrested’
Verbs - stereotyped representation of Mexicans = dishonest + negative
‘surprise’
‘shame’
Abstract nouns
‘surprise’ - Mexicans do not correspond to negative stereotypes in media
‘shame’ - because she internalised the stereotype of Mexicans presented in American media.
