Intersectionality in "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Dusseldorf "Heinrich Heine", language: English, abstract: "Americanah" is a novel written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The narrative centers in the experience of Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman who migrated to the USA, and her childhood sweetheart Obinze, a Nigerian man who migrated to the UK, during their adolescence and adult life. Each of their identities is altered by the experiences they face in the Western world.

In my term paper, I will analyze the processes of migration through the lens of Intersectionality. I want to show that it is not sufficient to analyze the obstacles they face based merely on race or nationality. Each of them faces different obstacles due to the Intersectionality of factors like race, gender, class, and political views.

In the paper, I will focus on the Intersectionality of race and gender as Ifemelu and Obinze migrate away from and back to Nigeria. I will start my analysis by explaining the term Intersectionality. Then, I will elaborate on the stereotypical gender roles in Nigeria to overview the expectations regarding their gender Ifemelu and Obinze grew up with and eventually have to change once they move to the western world. In my main part, I will first analyze Ifemelu's migration story in terms of her gender and race. In this analysis, I will focus on the topics perception of beauty, mainly regarding hair, romantic relationships, and her experiences with finding a job in the USA. Secondly, I will analyze Obinze's migration story as a Black man by considering his relationship with women and their roles in society and his experiences with jobs in the UK. Lastly, I will compare their experiences with migration based on their different genders.