Intention

Expose and change the way people think about Africa

Through her TED talk, Adichie intends to connect the negative representations of Africa with colonialism and power: “Like our economic and political worlds, stories too are defined by the principle of nkali: How they are told, who tells them, when they’re told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power” (ll. 67-69). During colonial rule, misrepresentation of African people was often intentional and meant to promote the superiority of colonisers over the local population and consolidate the colonisers’ power. Adichie also gives the example of Western literature and its widespread influence in African countries, and the prejudiced views expressed by British poets (l. 64) and sea merchants (ll. 59-60) during colonial times in Africa. Furthermore, the image of Africans as "unable to speak for themselves and waiting to be saved by a kind, white foreigner" is widespread among Westerners even nowadays (ll. 55-56). This is arguably also fueled by Western governments' or companies' intention to influence and control African countries politically and economically.

To show that Westerners tend to judge Africans based on single stories, Adichie uses a personal example: "I recently spoke at a university where a student told me that it was such a shame that Nigerian men were physical abusers like the father character in my novel." (ll. 76-77). Adichie strengthens her argument by also offering the personal story of her experience as...