The Hypocrisy of Ifelmelu’s Character
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanah” is celebrated for exploring race, identity, and the immigrant experience. The protagonist, Ifemelu, observations on race and society are often insightful, but her narrative is marked by hypocrisy.
One of the first examples of Ifemelu’s hypocrisy is her judgment of Aunty Uju’s relationship with The General, a wealthy man who supports Uju financially. Ifemelu views the relationship as representative of a morally compromised Nigerian society, where women are forced to depend on powerful men to get ahead. Aunty Uju speaks on her view of their society, “The problem is that there are many qualified people who are not where they are supposed to be because they won’t lick anybody’s ass, or they don’t know which ass to lick or they don’t even know how to lick an ass. I’m lucky to be licking the right ass.”(Adiche 81) Ifemelu judges Uju, seeing her as a contributor to a system devaluing women.
However, later in the story, Ifemelu enters a similar relationship with Kurt, a wealthy white American. Like The General, Kurt provides her access to a higher social and professional standing. Yet, rather than viewing her actions through the same lens, Ifemelu justifies the relationship. She sees herself as a victim of circumstance, portraying Kurt as someone she uses to advance her career, but without the same moral condemnation. When she cheats on Kurt to end their relationship, she rationalizes her actions as necessary, creating a narrative where her behavior is excused.
This tendency to justify her actions while condemning others is a recurring theme. When Kurt is caught chatting with another woman, Ifemelu is hurt, and the reader is expected to sympathize with her. Yet, Ifemelu messages Obinze despite knowing he is married to Kosi. She justified her actions by dismissing Kosi’s marriage as superficial and traditional. She diminishes Kosi’s role as a wife, framing her as a part of a loveless marriage. However, if Kosi were the narrator, readers would view Ifemelu’s actions as a betrayal, and Obinze as the unfaithful husband.
Another form of hypocrisy is shown in Ifemelu’s attitudes toward cultural ignorance. When she first arrives in America, she struggles with understanding American culture, and her ignorance is portrayed as understandable and forgivable. Yet, when Americans express similar ignorance about Nigeria or Africa, Ifemelu is quick to label them as racist or inconsiderate. For example, Kelsey, one of Ifemelu’s peers, asks her, “Are women allowed to vote in your country?”(191). Ifemelu is offended and refuses to talk to her. While Kelsey’s question is undoubtedly ignorant, it highlights the double standard in Ifemelu’s treatment of ignorance.
Throughout the novel, Ifemelu criticizes white Americans for lumping all Black people into one category. However, Ifemelu engages in the same oversimplification when she talks about white people, reducing them to a single group. Just as she expects cultural differences between Black Americans and Africans to be respected, the same consideration should extend to the diversity within white Americans.
Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah. Fourth Estate, 2014.
While this blog does raise some interesting points regarding Ifemelu’s supposed hypocrisy and there may be some truth to this - I think the analysis simplifies her character and the bigger ideas in the book.
ReplyDeleteFirst, comparing Ifemelu’s judgment of Aunty Uju’s relationship with The General to her own relationship with Curt is fair, but it’s more complex than just hypocrisy. Ifemelu is trying to figure out her place in different cultures and dealing with the power dynamics in these relationships. Her relationship with Curt isn’t just about using him; it’s also about how she navigates being in a new society. Eventually, she leaves him, which shows that she’s uncomfortable with the situation, even though she entered into it. This makes her actions more layered and not just a contradiction.
When it comes to Ifemelu’s relationship with Obinze, the critique is understandable. However, it’s important to remember the strong emotional bond between them. She’s not pretending her actions are morally right but is acting on deep feelings for him. The novel encourages us to look at her motivations in a more nuanced way, instead of just labeling her actions as wrong. Human relationships, especially when it comes to love, are rarely straightforward, and Adichie captures this complexity.
In the blog he also points out Ifemelu’s frustration with Americans who don’t understand African cultures, which he sees as another contradiction. But I think there’s a difference between innocent ignorance and ignorance based on stereotypes. Ifemelu’s frustration comes from constantly being reduced to these stereotypes. Her reaction is more about the deeper issues of race and identity she faces as an African immigrant in the U.S., and not just her being unfair to others.
Finally, the blog mentions Ifemelu criticizing white Americans while also stereotyping them, which might seem hypocritical. But this also reflects her frustration with how society tries to fit people into categories based on race. Her sharp remarks on race come from her personal experiences, where she’s constantly having to defend or explain herself.
Overall, while Ifemelu does have moments of contradiction, Americanah is really about the complexities of identity, race, and personal growth. The blog makes some good points, but it overlooks how the novel digs deeper into these difficult and very human experiences.
"Make the points in my blog response more concise" Chat GPT, Version 4o, Open AI, (10, September. 2024)