Danger of a Single Story (PACT)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

Purpose: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wants to inform about the horrible consequences of stereotyping and being close-minded, or only developing a "single story" as she calls it. Her background, growing up in Africa, has provided her with so much insight on a different part of the world that most of us are not fortunate enough to ever see. She tells of growing up reading books with only white characters, and how that developed her own stories to be the same. She uses references to John Locke and her own personal roommate in college that did not know what Africans were really like; Locke calling them "half-devils", and her roommate completely shocked that she spoke English. Adichie wants to shine a light on the misfortunes of society and the lack of understanding that exists still in our literate, technological world.

Audience: TED Talks are usually written for much more than the audience that listens to them live. They are written for the general public for they are recorded and uploaded to websites, such as YouTube. Adichie's audience is anyone how is willing to listen and of course understands English. She writes of personal experiences, history, and modern viewpoints which can pertain to much more than one group of people. She allows her words to be perceived by a broad audience --making her argument that much more powerful.

Context: This speaks to our society as a whole. Although we have the ability to become educated and understand cultures, religions, and other people, we simply choose to accept the story that we have been accustomed to accept. We do not like when somethings challenge our viewpoints, and we become shocked when they do. We choose to rely on the "single story" when there is so much more detail we have missed.

Text: There is no traditional "text" throughout the TED Talk, therefore it is entirely up to the reader to listen to what Adichie is saying and interpreting her words in a way that makes sense to them. Her script includes examples from her personal life ever since she was a little girl and how different "single stories" seemed to haunt her throughout. She references important individuals, such as John Locke, and she also puts herself at fault for believing in a single story about Mexico. She makes herself relatable which allows the audience to really connect with her and the words she is saying.