The

Thing
Aroun
d Your
Neck

What I need to revise

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A private Experience
Ghosts
Jumping Monkey Hill
The Thing Around Your Neck
The Shivering
The Arrangers of Marriage

Essay Topics Text Response

1. To what extent does immigration and dislocation shape the relationships in
The Thing Around Your Neck?
Nigerian women within the collection of stories feel more reliant on
their husbands than ever, showing the nature of their love not
natural but necessary as the women are completely dependent on
them.
2. Adichies stories suggest that true cultural understanding is not possible.
Do you agree?

3. This is agenda writing, it isnt a real story of real people. Is this an

accurate description of Adichies collection?
Adichies collection explores the life of many Nigerian women and
families, not just one or two. The fact that each story goes through
its own dilemma, different consequences, location and classes
shows to the reader that
4. Adichies characters are motivated by a desire to belong. Discuss.

5. How does Adichie use particular narrative perspectives to convey meaning

in her stories?

6. At night something would wrap itself around your neck, something that
very nearly choked you before you fell asleep. What restricts Adichies
characters?

7. The Thing Around Your Neck shows that despite education and
achievements, Nigerian women are still limited by their gender. Discuss.

8. Adichies stories are characterised by an absence of hope. Do you agree?

9. How does Adichie contrast Nigeria with America?

Although Nigeria is somewhat portrayed as a corrupt nation,
nevertheless, it is shown to have a rich culture, family values and
an idealistic view in terms of the descriptions associated with the
country. The American Dream reality that is unattainable by the

characters within the collection of stories shows the shallowness of

the western civilisation.
10.
If you want to get anywhere you have to be as mainstream as
possible. How far do Adichies stories show this to be true?

What is the difference between assimilation and integration?

When one is assimilated, it means that they are absorbed into the environment
around them. In context to the novel, this means that they adapt to the
American way of thinking and culture.
What is the danger of a single story?
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You have a certain perception of people before even getting to know them

How does what Adichie is saying in this TED talk connect with the
stories we have read so far?
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A lot of the stories express the same themes, eating mangoes and
describing the weather ( the summer in Tomorrow is Too Far)
The families in the stories are middle class
Aspects of Western literature is incorporated into the stories

Adichie explores a loss of hope through her anthology, depicting

Nigerian women who despite attempts to take charge of their situation
are unable to remove themselves from male figures in their life.
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How is Chinaza shown to be powerless, lacking a voice?

My husband
Settling his heavy body on top of mine
crushed his mouth down on mine
I did not remind them that I wanted to take the JAMB exam again (Pg
170)

A Private Experience What is Adichie saying about religious, ethnic,

gender personal identities?
Questions to think about

What emotion most clearly dominated the main character?

How does this book fit with the authors whole body of work?
How do the principle antagonists in the book view the world differently?

What to Annotate
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Key concerns
Setting
Characters/Character relationships

Literacy devices contrasts, repetition, narrative voice, time shifts,

shadows, significance of titles

General Knowledge about the Book

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Comprises of 12 short stories

Adichie travelled to United States to attend college
All the narrators are females and unnamed, symbolising the silent
witness mindset the gender inequality and the unimportance of females
Polysyndeton Deliberate use of many conjunctions
There is a distinct connection between those who are more Westernised
and those who are perceived as intelligent
1. List and identify as many literary devices featured in Adichies stories?
Can you find examples and explain effect?
2. Write views and values statements for this topic
Essay Topic: How does Adichie use particular narrative style
and perspective to convey meaning in her stories?
Questions to consider:
How does her approach vary from story to story?
Are there common features in many of the narrative
perspectives she chooses?
Which 3-4 stories have the most distinctive narrative
perspectives? (Choose stories that vary from each other)
Look at each one what distinctive features do they have and
what is the effect on the meaning?

Cell One

Adichie builds suspense in the story as she creates a sense of fear from
the words Cell One from the beginning, this keeps the reader intrigued
for the duration of the story
The narrator who is the sister is unnamed for the entire story
It surprised me, this little victory Sister
What emotion most clearly dominated the main character
If they do not find the person they are looking for, they will lock up his
father or his mother or his relative Mother
Connection to Tomorrow is Too Far
Literary Devices
I didnt care. I didnt shut up. So they pulled me out and beat me and
took me to Cell One
I saw my brothers eyes fill with tears my worldly brother and I felt a
tenderness for him that I could not have explained had I been asked to
Hints in the short story that the characters in the novel had been
westernized, from the colonisation. Subtle hints that corruption in the
community had commenced as a result of colonisation
Use of Igbo (Language)
Nnamabias father feels helpless
Nnamabias mothers values are skewed, likes to avoid the conflict of
issues

Nnamabias sister is very critical of her parents

Bribing the police with rice
Contrast of Nigerian settings
Shift in Nnamabia, speaking in English he had a theatrical aspect whereas
when he speaks Igbo there is a feeling of honesty and connection to his
real self
Cell One is feared throughout the story

A Private Experience

This story contrasts the others within the anthology as it portrays two
women together finally comfortable enough to share their lives, succusses
and fears.
Shows a different perspective rather than women just subjected to their
home life and families
One woman is Christian and the other is Muslim, yet it shows that the
women arent the ones igniting the conflict
Also portrays their lack of agency, as women they have obviously been
forced into this situation that neither had control over.
She is thinking of her necklace, plastic beads threaded on a piece of
string

Ghosts Ghosts may be symbolic of the fact that those that speak Igbo believe
that the supernatural exist, that ancestors will watch over
Narrated by a man well educated
I am supposed to have armed myself with enough science to laugh
indulgently at the ways of my people
Inclusive words such as our show that he views his wife on the same
level as himself
The education minister stole all the money

On Monday of Last Week

The short story has been written in second person, again the female
narrator has not been named to mark the lesser importance of women
within the entire novel
She remembered how they had woken up the next morning with onions
heavy on their breath. She remembered, too, how their relationship had
been filled with effortless ease. Now, their silences were awkward.
Like the American Dream, trying to act like a perfectionist
The assumption that Nigerian women do not possess any skill or
education

 From both ends there are racial stereotypes

Jumping Monkey Hill
Third Person
Set in South Africa
Edward Campbell
Baboon Lodge and Porcupine Place

The Thing Around Your Neck

You thought everybody in America had a big car and a gun
Visa lottery
The uncle wasnt hired for her skills but merely so the company would look
diverse, culturally diverse
Male characters assimilate give up their values and views to fit in with
the American culture
Views and Values
Adichie emphasises that with wealth and comfort comes negative
consequences loss of values and integrity
The American Embassy
Presented in Second Person
A woman tells of her familys story whilst waiting for asylum within
America
Seeking the American dream but comes to the realisation that she doesnt
want to give up her culture
Im Ugonnas mother
She wanted to go back to their ancestral hometown
Two views on the editors and then her perspective
Palm oil but doesnt mention the blood, she is in denial about his death
Creative shuttling between the actual narration and reminiscences
The Shivering

The Arrangers of Marriage

I had imagined a smooth driveway snaking between cucumber-coloured
lawns, a door leading into a hallway, walls with sedate paintings
But none of my responses would register, they would ask just to ask
Ofodiles mother was looking for a wife for him
Females are unimportant, their aspirations and goals are valued less than
men \
Dave is obsessed with the Westernised ways and fitting into the
American culture
She is able to stick up for herself in the end

Tomorrow Is Too Far

Written in second person
The fact we dont know the girl whose narratings name means that its
signifying the lack of importance for females
Gender inequality
Summer before your parents divorce, before your mother swore you
would never again set foot in Nigeria to see your fathers family
Grandmama let only your brother Nonso climb the trees to shake a loaded
branch
Biblical illusion, Snake was called echi eteka, Tomorrow Is Too Far
Silver rain fantasy like
Both the grandma and mum favour Nonso
Avocado
Due to cultural values, Nigerian women defined by their roles and their
relationships with others. The emphasis within Nigerian society that males
are more important than females is evident in Adiches short story,
Tomorrow is Too Far, her female protagonist is unnamed, her lack of
identity emphasised.
Female protagonist attempts to take control of her life
The Headstrong Historian

Womens successes have to be kept hidden in case it compromised the

masculinity of a man
He would not marry another wife until they were old, so that they would
have somebody to care for them
Set in the 1800s
Pre-colonisation
Husband dies from suspicious circumstances
Circular narration
Characters within The Headstrong Historian

Views and values

Adichie condemns rigidly defined gender roles which she views as limiting.
(particularly for women) and instead shows how empowering it can be
when women defy socially prescribed roles
Adichie highlights how gender roles are socially constructed and situation
(specific to time and place)
Adichie emphasises the importance of a strong connection to the past and
tradition, yet she also presents the need for culture to evolve. She is
aware of the flaws in Nigerian culture and suggests change is possible/can
be positive
Adichie demonstrates that transgression of societal rules is destructive to
a persons integrity

Adichie challenges the irrationality of colonisers and the fear of African

people due to the stereotypes that Africans are cannibals which is
placed on Africa
Adichie warns that a lack of hope can often result from other people who
stifle others and remove their sense of agency
Adichie believes hope can be found when people can take control of their
own lives and are aware of their options
Adichie shows that despite being vulnerable to external influences, like
sexism and colonisalism, by developing a sense of agency in their lives,
the characters gain control generating a sense of optimism as they
become independent people
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