"The war took Zik," I said in Igbo. Speaking of death in English has always had, for me, a disquieting finality.
This quote explains the complicated relationship between Igbo and English and what it represents for Nigerian speakers. Throughout the story, James Nwoye holds on to his past and carries the violence of the Nigerian Civil War with him. For him, English signifies Western influence and colonialism. When speaking about a matter so personal, Nwoye is unable to use English to articulate his emotions. It feels foreign, and his emotion is lost in translation.
Later, Chika will read in The Guardian that "the reactionary Hausa-speaking Muslims in the North have a history of violence against non-Muslims," and in the middle of her grief, she will stop to remember that she examined the nipples and experienced the gentleness of a woman who is Hausa and Muslim.
The story's violent political setting is crucial to "A Private Experience." Although the Nigerian media and government may depict the conflict in ways that demonize Muslims, Chika is prompted to recall the human interaction between Chika and the Muslim woman. The story suggests that even in times of conflict, people are people, and they must survive and resist in the face of adversity. Chika's experience with the Hausa woman is life-changing, as she is forced to question her pre-judgments about those that are different from herself.
But I am a Western-educated man, a retired mathematics professor of seventy-one, and I am supposed to have armed myself with enough science to laugh indulgently at the waves of my people.
This quote explores the experience of people who are not from Western countries, yet leave to receive a Western education. Through this story, we see how James is forced to distance himself from his native culture in order to assimilate to Western society. This storyline also signifies the complexities of the immigrant experience. As immigrants who move to the West seek to be approved by their new society, they often diminish the significance of their own culture in order to gain credibility in the new culture.
“This may indeed be the year 2000, but how African is it for a person to tell her family that she is homosexual?”
Edward Campbell provides these words of feedback to a young, Senegalese writer that attends his workshop. The writer wishes to talk about her experience as a lesbian, but Edward contends that this storyline is false and unconvincing. In this way, Edward aims to control what kind of stories are seen as reflecting the African experience. This excerpt explores how numerous characters throughout the collection must navigate racist attitudes and behavior.
And although Nkem knew many Nigerian couples who lived together, all year, she said nothing.
This quote exemplifies the plight of many immigrant women throughout The Thing Around Your Neck. Nkem, like many of the other female characters in the collection, feels so out of place in America that she doesn't feel comfortable asserting herself or arguing. Nkem is frustrated by her husband's distance and his dishonesty, but she ultimately lacks the confidence to assert her opinions. Her silence also stems from her discomfort living in America and her alienation from her native Nigeria.
"But why do we say nothing?" Ujunwa asked. She raised her voice and looked at the others. "Why do we always say nothing?"
Ujunwa is frustrated by Dr. Edward Campbell's discriminatory behavior. Although the other writers are similarly frustrated by Dr. Campbell, they fail to confront him directly. Ujunwa attempts to mobilize her colleagues in order to stand up to his oppressive and dehumanizing actions. However, everyone fears for their safety and wellbeing.
The trick was to understand America, to know that America was give-and-take. You gave up a lot but you gained a lot, too.
After Akunna wins the American visa lottery, her family expects that her life in the United States will be prosperous. Upon her arrival, however, she realizes that being an immigrant is incredibly difficult. Akunna's abusive uncle, whom she lives with when she first moves to the U.S., attempts to excuse his own behavior by writing it off as one of the adversities that Akunna needs to face. However, as Akunna navigates her new American life, she realizes that she doesn't gain much. Instead, the United States takes away her sense of cultural affiliation.
"Busy. Americans say busy, not engaged," he said. "We'll try later. Let's have breakfast."
Ofodile attempts to repress Chinaza's Nigerian identity. He condescendingly corrects her language, and he rejects her traditional customs. Chinaza feels belittled and bullied by her husband. In addition, she feels trapped in her relationship. Chinaza is forced to make a decision. Will she diminish parts of her identity so that she can have a stable relationship? Or will she defend her individuality and change the terms of her marriage?
That summer, eighteen years ago, was the summer of your first self-realization. The summer you knew that something had to happen to Nonso, so that you could survive.
The female narrator is angry that she receives different treatment from her brother, Nonso. She plans to harm Nonso so that she can gain the love, attention, and admiration from her family. This attitude reflects how women and men are treated differently in traditional Nigerian society. Although the narrator never intended to kill her brother, her silence around her mistreatment leads her to unthinkable actions.
It was Grace who, feeling an odd rootlessness in the later years of her life, surrounded by her awards, her friends, her garden of peerless roses, would go to the courthouse in Lagos and officially change her first name from Grace to Afamefuna.
This quote demonstrates the intergenerational effects of colonialism. Although Grace has been recognized for her scholarship, she feels confused in her identity due to her family's repression of her traditional Nigerian roots. Grace honors the memory of her grandmother, a proud Nigerian, by changing her name to the traditional name Nwamgba called her.
