The Danger of a Single Story

Title

• 'Single Story' - sibilance - sinister

Paragraph 1

• Introduces herself. Blunt, to the point. 
• Grasps reader from the beginning. 
• Shows she is educated - knows what she is talking about.
• Relates to audience - British and American Books. 

Paragraph 2

• Uses exaggerated description of Western books. 
• Almost a mini story in itself.  
• One long sentence - suggests she is going on a tangent - she enjoys the books. 
• Humour - relates to the audience.

Paragraph 3

• Continues descriptive passage.
• Humour - comical description of home country Nigeria. 
• Shows stark difference - Western books are good but she wants something closer to home. 

Paragraph 4

• References discovery of African books
  
• Creates suspense - audience wants to know how it changed her. 

Paragraph 5 

• Beautiful, vivid description of black people like her - implies Western books has suppressed her view of herself
• References African authors.
• Suggests reading their books gave her a new sense of identity. 

Paragraph 6

• Shows she is well rounded
• Still loves Western books - but African books gave her a wider worldview.
• Implies all are capable of having a single story.

Paragraph 7

• Talks about herself - makes her more relatable.
• Talks about Fide to set up for what happens in the next paragraph. 

Paragraph 8 

• Vivid description of basket juxtaposed w/ assumed poverty of Fide's family. 
• Shows that she is not above audience. We are all guilty.

Paragraph 9

• Uses humour to show American roommate's ignorance. Humour get audience onside. 

Paragraph 10

• One line paragraph - serious in tone.
• Suggests she felt humiliated. 

Paragraph 11

• Uses plosive to show anger. 
• Suggests it was not roomates fault - ignorance in wider society. 

Paragraph 12

• Use of lists suggests she has gained a more ignorant worldview of Africa.
• West only focuses on the negatives. 

Paragraph 13

• Shows she is also guilty
• Ingested negative US media stereotypes about Mexicans. 
• Suggests everyone is easily susceptible.
  

Paragraph 14

• Imagery creates a sense of happiness. 
• Serves to undo all the stereotypes. 

Paragraph 15

• Short paragraph + repetition create sense of foreboding and danger. 

Paragraph 16

• Repetiton of the word 'stories' puts emphasis on their power. 
• Summarises what she has said in the rest of the talk. 

Paragraph 17

• Expert shows what are so great about stories.

Paragraph 18 

• Ends with a thought - inspire further discussion.
• 'we' - we are in this together
• Reference to 'paradise' - harmony, eden.