Rebecca answers “I am reading Americanah, and I'm about...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about Americanah:

I am reading Americanah, and I'm about half way through. If, for the protagonist, Nigeria is 100 % good, and the USA is 100% bad, why come to the States?

Rebecca Read the novel more closely, as Adichie does not characterize either country the way you seem to think she has. Moreover, read this novel through the …moreRead the novel more closely, as Adichie does not characterize either country the way you seem to think she has. Moreover, read this novel through the eyes of the narrator, rather than through your own privileged, "USA #1!!!" eyes. Americanah offers a rich, complex discussion of race in the United States and Nigeria, and what it means for an African woman from Nigeria to "Become Black" in the United States. I also suggest you check out Adichie's amazing TED talks, "The Danger of a Single Story" and "We Should All Be Feminists."(less)

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