the danger of a single story - adiche Flashcards
Anecdote (Personal Stories)
“I was an early reader, and what I read were British and American children’s books.”
Effect: Makes the speech relatable and authentic.
Shows how personal experiences shape understanding and help challenge stereotypes.
Repetition
“The single story creates stereotypes… The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.”
Effect: Reinforces key message: the danger lies in reduction, not total inaccuracy.
Helps the idea stick in the audience’s mind.
Emotive Language
“I was startled. It had not occurred to me that anyone in his family could actually make something.”
Effect: Expresses her shock and realisation, helping the audience feel the emotional impact of stereotyping.
Makes abstract issues more human and personal.
Contrast and Juxtaposition
“I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family… my mother says that Fide’s family was very poor.”
Effect: Highlights the difference between perception and reality.
Shows that people can live very different lives within the same place or culture.
Inclusive Pronouns
“We” / “Us” / “Our stories matter”
Effect: Engages the audience and creates a sense of unity.
Suggests we all have a shared responsibility to avoid single stories.
Metaphor
“Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”
Effect: Metaphor of storytelling shaping identity shows how narratives have power to control perception.
Reinforces her idea that representation influences reality.
Direct Address / Speech Form
“So that is how to create a single story…”
Effect: Conversational tone makes the message accessible and engaging.
Speaks directly to the audience, encouraging self-reflection.
Irony
“They were amazed that I could use a stove.”
Effect: Highlights the absurdity of stereotypes in a humorous but effective way.
Encourages the audience to question their own assumptions.
Cyclical Structure
Begins and ends with the theme of storytelling.
Start: How reading shaped her own worldview.
End: The call to embrace many stories, not just one.
Effect: Reinforces the central message that stories can both empower and limit.
Leaves the listener with a clear, memorable takeaway.
Chronological Progression
The speech follows the timeline of her life:
Childhood → schooling → travel to America → return to Nigeria.
Effect: Makes her message feel real and grounded in lived experience.
Helps the audience see how different stages of life reveal different single stories.
Build-Up of Ideas (Progressive Development)
Begins with personal experiences, then moves to wider global implications.
Effect: Draws the audience in with relatable stories, then expands to challenge their worldview.
Makes the argument more persuasive and logical.
Use of Contrast and Juxtaposition Throughout
Repeated contrasts between:
Herself vs. Western authors
American perception of Africa vs. the reality
Her family’s view of Fide vs. his true background
Effect: Highlights the danger of oversimplifying people or cultures.
Forces the audience to reflect on bias and assumption.
Turning Points / Moments of Realisation
“It had not occurred to me that anyone in his family could actually make something.”
Effect: These key moments shift the tone and push the argument forward.
Makes the journey emotional and reflective, not just logical.
Use of Examples / Case Studies
Examples from Nigeria, Mexico, her university roommate, Western literature.
Effect: Keeps the structure varied and engaging.
Shows how the “single story” exists across cultures, not just about Africa.
Ending with Hope / Call to Action
“When we reject the single story… we regain a kind of paradise.”
Effect: Finishes with an uplifting, empowering message.
Inspires change by leaving the audience hopeful, not just critical.
Balanced Structure
She shows both sides: not just being stereotyped, but also when she herself made assumptions.
“I too had bought into the single story…”
Effect: Adds humility and credibility.
Encourages the audience to reflect on their own biases without feeling attacked.
