The Problem of the Single Story

What should you always do before you engage with an important source like this video?

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Answer explanation

We hope that you wrote something like the following:

1. 1. Open my notebook and prepare it for what I'm about to learn from the source.

2. 2. Identify a few impression that I have about the source's Title and what I think I will learn and write these down in my notebook before I proceed.

3. 3. Start a pomodoro timer so that afte 25 minutes of focussed work - I can take a five minute brain break to get refresh myself for the last 20-25 minutes of class.

Why is the audience laughing at what Ms. Adichie is sharing in her personal narrative about her youth in Nigeria?

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Answer explanation

Adichie emphasizes how, instead of learning stories that reflected her own Nigerian heritage or the historical connection between Nigeria and Britain, she was only exposed to British stories and culture. This disconnect led to amusing moments of realization by the audience, like the British characters waiting for sunshine (a common desire in the cloudy British Isles), which she, growing up in sunny Nigeria, found completely foreign.

Her laughter reflects an awareness of the absurdity: she had been taught to imagine life and values that had little to do with her own environment and experiences. This cultural mismatch underscores the harm of ignoring local histories and identities in favor of imported narratives. It’s a great example of why diverse, accurate storytelling matters, especially in education.

Which descriptions best depict what Ms. Aditichie is sharing with you about the "Dangers of a Single Story"?s (There may be more then one that is applicable)

• She is telling us that all people should learn only the stories that relate to their race or racial background because doing so will help them learn better.

• She is telling us that children are very impressionable and in the face of a single story they may not learn stories that properily connect them to their history - especially if they are living in an imperial state.

• She is telling us that children benefit from learning what they want to learn and trying to teach anyone anythng other than what they want to learn is not going to work.

• She is telling us that stories are powerful and that when young people learn they should definatley learn stories that include people that look like them and live in the ways they live as well as stories of important people and historical events.

Answer explanation

Adichie wants young people to understand that growing up in Nigeria, she was deeply influenced by British and American stories, which shaped her view of the world but left out important aspects of her own Nigerian and African identity. She describes how, as a young reader, the stories available to her were often about characters in far-off places, people who looked and lived very differently from her. These stories made her assume that books, and even imagination itself, were supposed to center on Western lives and values.

One of the core lessons she wants students to walk away with is the importance of representation: how critical it is to see themselves, their culture, and diverse ways of life in stories. Adichie’s journey to discovering Nigerian and African stories taught her that her own experiences were valuable and worth telling. She encourages students to recognize the limitations of a single narrative and to seek out and honor multiple perspectives. This approach not only enriches their understanding but also empowers them to see their own lives as meaningful and important within the larger world narrative.

How was Ms. Adichie's understanding of Fide, the son of her family's housekeeper, limited by the 'single story' she had about him?

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Answer explanation

Ms. Adichie recognized that she was limited by how she saw Fide's family. She felt poverty must have been connected to inability or limited ability - so when she saw Fide create something so intricate and valuable - she was surprised it was his. Fide's Poverty was Ms. Adichie's "single story" that limited her understanding of Fide and his family.

How was Ms. Adichie's roomate or even the steward who called Africa a country limited by a single story view of Africa? How is this similar to Ms. Adichie's view of Fide? Do you think you may sometimes suffer from a single story perspective of Africa?

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Answer explanation

People often suffer from single-story perspectives about Africa because these narratives reduce the continent's diversity, history, and complexity to simplistic and often negative stereotypes. For example, Africa is frequently depicted solely as a place of poverty, conflict, and hardship, overshadowing its vast cultural richness, natural beauty, innovations, and accomplishments. When people only hear these limited stories, they may unknowingly adopt a narrow, biased view that impacts their interactions, decisions, and understanding of African countries and people.

Such perspectives can lead to misunderstandings, discrimination, and a lack of empathy, as well as reinforce harmful stereotypes. They also ignore the diversity of experiences within African nations—different languages, customs, economic situations, and stories of success. This single story harms not only how Africa is perceived by outsiders but also how Africans see themselves, potentially undermining pride in their heritage and cultures. Embracing multiple stories about Africa allows people to appreciate its full humanity and depth, fostering respect, empathy, and global understanding.

Ms. Adichie just told us about a London merchant called John Locke, who sailed to west Africa in 1561, and kept a fascinating account of his voyage. After referring to the black Africans as 'beasts who have no houses,' he writes, 'They are also people without​ (a)  

• Heads
• Brains
• Guilt
• Pride

Answer explanation

Ms. Adichie is introducing us to the 'Western Canon'—the body of literature, philosophy, and history that has been deemed significant in Western society. While these stories have shaped Western thought, they have also, at times, given rise to what we might call a 'Mongrel Canon.' This includes accounts of far-off places written from Western perspectives that lack credibility, accuracy, and truthfulness. Despite this, these stories hold power and, as a result, have often disempowered non-Western peoples and distorted our understanding of their cultures and histories. The picture to the right is of Shakespeares "Caliban" - it represents exactly this idea. This character shows up in "The Tempest" one of the most popular of Shakespeares plays and one that many people have watched and learned from.

To critically engage with these works, we must guard against the misleading influences of this Mongrel Canon, recognizing the potential harm in these stories while still paying attention to the impactful ideas in the Western Canon that people worldwide continue to discuss. For instance, early travel journals by figures like John Locke, though part of the Western Canon, contain biased perspectives that still affect us today. Our goal is to understand this impact and approach these texts with a thoughtful, informed mindset."