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  • Essay / Analysis by Chimamanda Adichie “The Danger of a Single Story”

    People imprisoned in a cave are unwilling to seek the light because they are afraid of the unknown truth of what lies inside outside. They wish to stay in the cave and in the darkness they know. However, is what they know the truth? Their knowledge, perhaps false, in the name of stereotypes, has been deeply rooted in their mentalities since their childhood. These lies become stories, in various versions and points of view. However, some stories express the absolute and undeniable truth. Regardless, society does not even consider the need to revisit them, perhaps from a different perspective. Chimamanda Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story" widens the lens as she takes viewers on her journey to find her original voice, filled with experiences of dealing with herself and the assumptions of others. She warns that racial and socioeconomic stereotypes lead to erroneous attachments to identity. To eliminate the destructive power of these biases, Adichie suggests viewers discern diverse perspectives and then express their own stories. In Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story,” it can be argued that these deeply rooted stories can become false perspectives that negatively affect not the one assumed, but the one assuming it. Therefore, to finally be free to be who they truly are, Adichie asks individuals to tear away these man-made labels and replace them with their humanity. Humanity is when people share a fundamental nature of compassion and love, regardless of their outward differences. It all starts with a sincere smile. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To begin with, when using a silenced history to define a diverse society, the danger of getting lost arises. Adichie doesn't see herself in mainstream American and British books, as she realizes: "But the unintended consequence was that I didn't know people like me could exist in literature." Adichie's recognition of her existence in a fascinating world of "literature" highlights that one's prejudices devalue one's personal potential. Therefore, this message addresses the "unintentional" conflict in which humans adopt each other's identities and do not accept their own. Racism developed centuries ago, but it exists today in the hands that hold the guns and bombs against those who hold the posters and books. Recently, thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh have been hiding along the border and are being denied the right to return to Myanmar. These refugees fled the ordeal of the Rohingya genocide, a series of atrocities perpetrated against them by Myanmar leader Win Myint. These persecutions include mass killings of civilians, burning of villages, rape and sexual violence. They don't know that diversity and significant economic value go hand in hand. Similar to Adichie who underestimated her power in literature, Myanmar has devalued its potential to form a diverse and economically prosperous nation. Myint writes the plight of these refugees and ignores their value as a member of a nation. Why should the ruler kill them when no individual is the enemy of the country? For whose sake? As the essay shows, Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story" expresses that these ancient narratives develop artificial filters that impact not the one being judged, but the one doing the judging. The beings..