Danger of a Single Story

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IMPORTANT QUOTES FOR Q4

'I'm a storyteller.'    - Simple, personal statement. Shows no political views involved here.

'danger'- emphasies importance.

'My mother says that I started reading at the age of two, although i think four is more close to the truth.' - immediatley introducing the idea of having 2 versions of one story- subtly preparing reader for ideas of single story.

'So, i felt enourmous pity' - the word 'so' suggests the simplistic way that children draw conclusions from what they're told without further question.

'dyed raffia' - contrasts with Adichie's assumption of poor people having grey, colourless lives.

'sneaking across the border, that sort of thing' - mimics the media's hyperbole and emotive language. 'that sort of thing' portrays how casually prejudice becomes established.

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LANGUAGE FEATURES

'mental shift' - METAPHOR indicating how her opinion changed.

'Fide's family have nothing' - REPORTED SPEECH - vividly remembering.

'''tribal music''' QUOTATION MARKS- used to emphasise how ridiculous of an assumption was made by the roommate.

'She assumed i did not know how to use a stove.' - SHORT SENTENCE and PARAGRAPH ON IT'S OWN- for impact and to convey the disbeleif Adichie felt.

'no possibility of feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals,' - REPETITION of 'no possibility' shows gulf of understand single story creates- Adichie knows she will never be seen as equal.

'we regain a kind of paradise.' - ends with a METAPHORICAL statement suggesting how world would be better without single stories. RHETORICAL DEVICE used to leave reader pondering on message.

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STRUCTURE

'I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family.' - shifts focus to new anecdote and new character- Fide.

Text begins with 'danger' of single story and ends with a solution and a positive, hopeful message.

Repetition of 'single story' to bring readers back to main focus after anecdotes.

Chronological order.

Adichie is startled by Fide, but shocks her roommate.

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METHODS AND IDEAS

- Use of FIRST PERSON

- DIRECT, conversational tone.

- HUMOUR and self-criticism.

-ANECDOTES

- RHETORICAL techniques.

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