Written by Poppy Treadaway
Nigerian-born Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has recently taken the feminist literary world by storm, but what is it about her work that is so compelling? We here to give you five reasons as why you need to read her work as soon as possible!
1. A Different Perspective On Feminism…
Particularly in We Should All Be Feminists, Adichie’s tone is not one of the typical ‘angry, man-hating feminist’, but rather she focuses on a collective effort to move past the gender stereotypes which still exist in our society. Not only is this refreshing but appeals to a much wider audience, as feminism has often focused on women as the victims of sexism, rather than the perpetrators, and in her own words says that “we must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently”
2. Personal Touch
Across all her work, Adichie bases the texts in Nigeria, drawing upon her own personal experiences of living in Nigeria, where men were always the ‘bread-winners’. Intertwining the cultural oppositions of Nigeria and America, not only does this parallel the author’s own life, but offers a perspective on feminism from both Western and non-Western worlds; something which is rare in feminist literature, and definitely gives Adichie’s work a different ‘edge’.
3. Quotable
This one really doesn’t take much explaining. It is undeniable that Adichie has some of the most empowering and thought-provoking quotes ever, and rather than just reading quotes meaninglessly, what better way to understand and digest them than actually reading the books! We Should All Be Feminists is bursting with quotes, but you’ll have to read it to find out…
4. Different Cultural Perspective
A major issue with 21st century feminism is the focus on women in the western world, who arguable share completely different problems to women in other parts of the globe. Something which Adichie focuses on is empowering young, African women, for whom poverty and teenage pregnancy are just a few of the problems they faced, therefore Adichie’s work offers a completely different cultural stance on feminism, beyond our narrowed Western vision.
5. Hopeful
All the other reasons aside, this is definitely the most important one. Despite voicing the harsh truth and reality of some situations, Adichie really does offer a hope for the future, something which we don’t see often in feminist texts, which seem to end with no change at all or a message which suggests our fight for equality is futile, but not for Adichie; she shows us how education and empowerment really can change the face of feminism for the future…
So if that’s not enough reasons to give Adichie’s work a go this summer, then get reading and think of some of your own reasons! You can find her work on Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
