Assimilation in American Culture
Assignment 1
Thing Around Your Neck/Arrangers of Marriage
- What is assimilation? How do both characters respond to American culture? Do they already have an idea of what America is like through popular culture (Film, TV, etc)? What sort of cultural expectations does each character have about America? Are those expectations met?
- What are the main characters relationships with men like? Do you think Adichie is linking gender with immigration? Is she suggesting that women have a larger challenge when assimilating than men?
- What are natural born Americans like in each short story? Do you think they are ignorant of African culture and immigrant narratives? Do they make general assumptions about the main characters? Conversely, are there any characters (especially in “The Thing Arond Your Neck” who possess arrogance towards Nigerian culture?
- What are the male characters like? How does Akunna’s boyfriend and Chinaza’s husband treat them? Why do you think Adichie’s immigrant stories showcase female relationships with men?
- Why do you think Adichie chose to title her short stories? What is the signficance of each title? How do they relate to the main characters struggles and tribulations?
Assignment 2
The Reluctant Fundamentalist 1-5
- Who is Changez talking to in the opening chapter? Read his description carefully? Is he an American tourist in Pakistan? Or, is he something more nefarious?
- Who is Changez? Why does he come to America? How is his story different from Ka’s Father in “The Dew Breaker” and Akuna and Ofodile’s in “The Thing Around Your Neck” and “Arrangers of Marriage”? Is he more priviledged than those characters?
- What is an allegory? How does the novel use allegory? What does Erica’s name symbolize? How does Erica respond to Changez? And, conversely, how does Changez respond to Erica? Does he like her more? If so, what does this suggest? Remember to view their relationship through allegory?
- Where does Changez work? Is he happy there? Why is he hired? What does he do there? Has he achieved the American Dream?
- Mohsin Hamid uses the word “nostalgia” on page 71. What does that word mean? How does that word describe Changez’s relationship with Erica, and by extension America?
- Why are certain words italicized? Why do you think Mohsin Hamid does that?
- After 9/11, what happens to Changez? Why do you think he smiles when he sees the Towers fall on television? How does his attitude about America change? How do his daily experiences change? What is the significance of the line ” Power comes from becoming change”? Who says it to whom? How does that line relate to Changez?
