Adichie Comparative Post

The stories “Tomorrow Is Too Far,” “The Thing Around Your Neck,” and “Cell One” all demonstrate one of my favorite things to see in a story – a woman (of color) standing up for herself and demonstrating her right to take up space just the same as a man does. The terminology “Take up space” is one that is used in feminist discourse often – women develop eating disorders at much higher rates of men because they feel their body does not have  a right to take up as much space, they often sit with their legs crossed and arms folded while often men slouch in their chairs with their knees far apart, and I found it interesting that Adichie actually used this phrase in “Tomorrow Is Too Far.” The other two aforementioned stories also demonstrate the idea of women asserting their right to be heard and take up space. In “Cell One” the protagonist acts out against what she believes is a waste of time, energy, and resources, and breaks her parents’ car’s windshield which is wholeheartedly badass and something we don’t see a lot from young women of color in stories unless they’re being portrayed in the context of “The Angry Black Woman” trope, which Adichie’s characters seldom are. In “The Thing Around Your Neck,” Adichie’s character is sufficiently creeped out by her borderline stalker, and although she proceeds (with caution) into the relationship, she never surrenders her inhibitions and falls unequivocally in love with him. She keeps her walls up against his suspicious attitude and narcissism, and in the end refuses to make a commitment to a man she does not believe she can share all parts of her life with. It’s wonderful to see women that can be involved in passionate, romantic love stories, but not let it define them, and understand that their autonomy, their background, and so many other parts of themselves are more important than their relationship, and actively vocalize it, and that theme is present in several in Adichie’s stories.