Summary
"The American Embassy"
An unnamed woman is in line at the American Embassy in Lagos. A man behind her asks if she has change for his larger bills, but she is unable to focus on his request. Instead, she keeps experiencing violent flashbacks of the events that have recently transpired. Just three days prior to the present moment, her four-year-old son, Ugonna, was shot to death by three government officials. In addition, she helped her husband escape political persecution by fleeing the country.
The narrator recalls jumping from her balcony in order to avoid being shot. She thinks about her husband, and how he placed his journalistic work ahead of his familial responsibilities. The woman is one of the lucky few people accepted for an embassy interview that day, and she aims to apply for asylum. The man behind her in line is also accepted, and he tells her how important it is to exaggerate Ugonna’s death. During her visa interview, the narrator feels uncomfortable speaking about Ugonna. Instead, she decides to forgo her plan of moving to America. She walks out of the embassy and aims to plant flowers on Ugonna’s grave.
"The Shivering"
Ukumaka is a Nigerian graduate student at Princeton. One day, she hears news that there has been a devastating plane crash in Nigeria that has killed over one hundred passengers. She fears that her ex-boyfriend, Udenna, may have been a victim. During her panic-ridden state, she hears a knock on her door. Chinedu, another Nigerian man who lives in her building, has come to seek her sympathy and pray with her. Although the two have never spoken before, they find comfort in their shared nationhood.
Ukumaka tells Chinedu about her past relationship with Udenna. The two become friends, and Ukumaka drives Chinedu to church every Sunday. As they spend more time together, their class differences become more visible. Ukumaka and Udenna used to shop at the farmer’s market, while Chinedu is unable to afford more expensive groceries. Ukumaka notices some inconsistencies about Chinedu’s behavior, but she ignores them because he provides her with a sense of companionship.
One day, Chinedu tells Ukumaka that he is gay. The two talk about his ex-boyfriend, and they compare their most recent relationships. When Chinedu tells Ukumaka that it is possible that Udenna never loved her, Ukumaka kicks Chinedu out of her house. The two don’t speak for a while, and Ukumaka misses Chinedu’s company. She knocks on his door and finds that he is unwell. Chinedu reveals that his visa has expired, and he is staying in the country illegally. He has lost his job, and he feels like he has run out of options. The two friends make up, and Ukumaka drives Chinedu to church. Ukumaka vows to help Chinedu not get deported, and the two share a laugh together in the church pews.
"The Arrangers of Marriage"
Chinaza and her husband, Ofodile, arrive in New York after their marriage ceremony in Lagos. Chinaza explains that she expected to live in a classic, suburban house instead of in an unattractive Brooklyn apartment. During their first few days together, Ofodile repeatedly corrects Chinaza for using Nigerian slang. He expects her to acclimate quickly to America, and he treats his new wife with brashness and impatience. Ofodile explains that he has changed his name to Dave Bell, in order to fit in with American names, and he files for Chinaza’s green card application under the name “Agatha.”
Chinaza grows close to Nia, their downstairs neighbor. She is inspired by Nia’s independence, and she finds that Nia is supportive of her acclimation to American society. Chinaza is turned off by Ofodile’s behavior, but the final straw comes when Ofodile tells her that there has been a “flare-up” with his prior marriage. Chinaza was never aware that Ofodile was married before, and she feels misled and disrespected. Chinaza’s feelings are conflicted, as she doesn’t want to be a disappointment to her family—her uncle and aunt are very proud of the fact that they have arranged for their niece to marry an American doctor. Chinaza decides that she must persevere and attempt to create a life for herself in America.
Analysis
In “The American Embassy,” the reader learns of the violence perpetrated by the government at this moment in Nigerian history. Additionally, the story comments on Nigerian society’s emphasis on gender differences. The narrator’s husband, a writer that opposes the government, is sought after by the military and the police. While he escapes harm's way, the narrator and their son, Nonso, are put at risk. This symbolizes the struggles that women encounter in the domestic sphere. Male privilege is evident in mobility, while women are often stuck at home facing the consequences of their partner’s actions.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the narrator has found meaning in her life through motherhood. After Nonso’s death, the narrator feels as though she has lost her purpose. Although she plans to pursue a new life in the United States, she is uncomfortable with using Nonso’s death as a sob story to be granted asylum. When she decides to stay in Nigeria, the narrator emphasizes her commitment to motherhood. Although Nonso has died, she still feels responsible for taking care of his grave.
“The Shivering” mirrors a central theme that also appears in “A Private Experience.” Both stories demonstrate that in times of crisis, characters that are drastically different from one another can find common ground. In “The Shivering,” Ukumaka and Chinedu are from opposite ends of the economic spectrum. When Ukumaka discusses the lifestyles of herself and her ex, Udenna, she first grows aware of her privilege. Although they live different lives in both Nigeria and the United States, the two characters find comfort in one another after they experience national tragedy.
Both “The Shivering” and “The Arrangers of Marriage” focus on the motif of deceit. In “The Shivering,” Chinedu hides the fact that he is an undocumented immigrant trapped in the United States. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” Chinaza conceals her dissatisfaction with her relationship because she understands her family’s stake in her marriage. In both examples, deceit is the result of each character’s respective sense of embarrassment. Ultimately, Chinedu and Chinaza do not feel free until they confide in their friends.
“The Arrangers of Marriage” also focuses on the motif of assimilation. During the years that Ofodile has spent in the United States, he has taken drastic measures to assimilate into American society. In his attempts to fit in, Ofodile has neglected and hidden his Nigerian identity. He has even changed his name to an anglicized version of his birth name, thus demonstrating his extreme need to fit in. Ofodile places pressures on Chinaza to follow suit. He chastises her for cooking traditional Nigerian meals, and he scoffs at her use of Nigerian English. Chinaza does not feel the same pressure to assimilate, and she learns to assert her independence by radically claiming her identity.
