Akunna: The Narrative of the Dislocated Subject in the Short Story “The Thing Around Your Neck,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Abstract

This paper addresses issues enmeshed with the experience of the diaspora, the situation of black immigrant women affected by the feeling of geographic dislocation, adopting the perspective of female-authored Nigerian literature. The object of study is the short story “The Thing Around Your Neck,” part of the collection of short stories of the same name, by the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The study aims to discuss the problems faced by black women in transit between the African continent and the United States, as well as the conflicts in the process of identity building that surround their lives in societies that oppress and silence them. The investigation is guided by the post-colonialist approach and problematizes both quotidian and gendered forms of racism grounded in the representations about Africa and its peoples. The analytical reading of the object of study indicates that the short story “The Thing Around Your Neck” presents itself as a treaty against the victimization of Africa and Nigerian women.