How the Blog Posts are Integral to Americanah

 

One of the things I found interesting about this novel was how the blog posts are tied into the story at each different stage in Ifemelu’s life. I feel as though the blog posts provide a raw truth about the story that connects with what is going on in the novel as well as how things are socially structured in America. The blog posts give Adichie a chance to give opinions about race in America in a blunt, factual way that are tied into the story but also force the reader to think about how they’ve experienced race in their own life. One of the blog posts that I found most illuminating is the “To My Fellow Non-American Blacks: In America You Are Black Baby” on page 273-275 because it demonstrates how a person’s identity can change based upon what country they are living in. This blog post goes to show how American’s often make assumptions about people based on skin color. For example, the blog discusses how Ifemelu “was asked to give the black perspective,” when in reality she had no idea what view she was supposed to have just because she was a certain skin color (p 273). This theme carries throughout the book and expresses how people in America are often treated based on their skin color according to the social hierarchy that has been created. Another blog that stuck out to me was “Understanding America for the Non-American Black: Thoughts on the Special White Friend” on page 448 because it highlights the idea of white privilege which is a theme throughout the book. One thing the blog touches on is how people believe that black people get jobs just because they have dark skin when in reality it’s the other way around and white people get jobs because they are white. This theme is reinforced throughout the book especially through Ifemelu and Curt’s relationship. For instance, Curt was a wealthy, well-off white individual who was easily able to get Ifemelu a job just by using his connections, a job Ifemelu would not have been able to get on her own as a black person in America. Another example from their relationship was when Ifemelu went to get her eyebrows done and the salon wouldn’t do it because she had “curly” eyebrows. This was a battle Ifemelu wouldn’t be able to win on her own, but when Curt went in and yelled at the salon workers, they immediately listened to him. This also highlights the power dynamic touched on throughout the book that demonstrates how white people have power and influence in situations where black people would not.