A REVIEW OF CHIMAMANDA’S THE THING AROUND YOUR NECK
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche in her writing journey has been able to write in a different and peculiar way. She is able to compound her fictional thoughts and bring it out in different style (point of view) compared to how literature – fiction- has been written earlier.
The compilations of short stories –
THE THING AROUND YOUR NECK-expresses different thoughts and heroism. Each story discusses different but united thematic concern, which is very compelling, evident, endemic and pragmatic to the Nigerian populace and worldwide in the wider scope.
The Thing around Your Neck speaks out the voice of different people, different sector of the Nigerian government, different ideology, different experiences and different believe system.
The compilation of stories is very pragmatic with title given to it – The Thing around Your Neck- This phrase is an adjectival phrase that qualifies the responsibility that lies on the neck of every individual. These responsibilities are voiced out and characterized by each story in the book.
Each story has its thematic concern and message that it is passing across to people, showcasing the role of every individual at home – Nigeria- and abroad.
What distincts this fictional work is the point of view employed in narrating two particular stories, The Thing around Your Neck and Tomorrow Is Too Far. These two stories serve as pointers to the totality and ground thematic concern of the compilation.
The Thing around Your Neck describes the responsibility of every individual and sector of the country or nation generally, while Tomorrow Is Too Far serves as a call to duty; that what needs to be done should be done. The two stories are functionally complimentary and complementary to each other; there is a duty to be performed and the duty must be done NOW.
The first story, Cell One, shows the responsibilities of parents on their children. This story architectonically draws that, parental status does not dictate if a child will be of good moral or not, therefore parents, no matter their financial and social status must bring up their children in the proper way. This is evident in the life of Nnamabia who behaves waywardly and eventually is being caught amidst other cultist, he is taken to the police station where the responsibilities on the neck of the Nigerian government is being shown.
The story exposes the corrupt act of the Nigerian police as a representation of Nigerian judicial arm and executives, the poor condition of the police cell and corruption amidst the prisoners. The story therefore show the responsibilities of the parents, the government and even every individual.
The second story, Imitation, shows the responsibilities on the neck of both couples, male especially. The story centers on Nkem who stays in America and marries Obiora who stays in Nigeria. Along the line, Obiora brings home – in Lagos- his girlfriend, this is a betrayal act by the man. The story shows the ill side of imitation of some men who gets side chicks or girlfriends all because their wife is not around with them. The story is a call to men to live up to standard and make sure the trust between them and their wives is being upheld always.
A Private Experience points out the role of government and individuals in building love between the different tribes and culture that exists in Nigeria. The story is all about a riot that happens between the Hausa people and the Ibo people in Kano due to tribal and religious differences, the two tribes are represented by Chika and the Hausa woman. The story points out that there can be love and peaceful relationship between different tribes, culture and religion, in as much love and tolerance is being permitted.
The next short story, Ghost, show the experience of Nigerian pensioners. The experience of Nigerian retired civil servants who are supposed to start enjoying their retirement but are suffering on the other way round before they could get the stipend allocated to them. Even after months some are still denied of their entitlement. The story calls the attention of the government to their responsibility of seeing to the welfares of their workers, both those working and the retired.
On Monday of Last Week lays emphasis on women and their consciousness to their appearance. The story clarify that women should always be conscious of their appearance anytime and every time. It centers on Kamara who starts to work for Neil as a baby sitter of Josh because Tracy has been busy with her painting work and hardly comes out to see her family and even his young boy, Josh. Because the woman of the house hardly comes out, Kamara starts to dress in a casual way, but is being caught unaware by Tracy a day when she decides to come out, and since then Kamara starts to be conscious of her dressing.
The story also serves as a model for men in the society to understand and support their wife always, despite the tight schedule of Tracy, Neil understand and stands by her, not allowing intruder to come between their relationship.
The Thing around Your Neck shows the high expectation of people from YOU. Whenever one achieve a little the expectation becomes high, whereby people do not care about how you struggle to make it, all people care about is that you have made it and should help them in one way or the other because they feel it is your obligation.
The American Embassy tells the story of the military regime in the society and maintains that both the military and the civilian government hitherto has not been corrupt free. In fact, the military clandestinely syphon nation’s wealth and misuse their power. It is a call to the military government to protect the lives of the citizen as they ought to, not to victimize and theorize them.
The story also questions the freedom of speech of people and immigration (the difficult and troublesome process of getting visa out of Nigeria to America). It calls on the Nigerian government to see to freedom of speech, even when the speech backlash the government and also to see to the easy obtainment of visa into America by Nigerian.
The Shivering is a call to Nigerians (and Africans generally) home and abroad to love themselves wherever they see themselves, no matter the tribe, culture, religion, socio-cultural differences that may exist, we should all see ourselves as ONE.
Tomorrow Is Too Far is symbolically rounding it up that all these responsibilities should be attended to, there should be no form of procrastination. Action should be taken immediately.
The compilation of short story, really points out to every aspect of humanity and is calling that everyone should rise up to her/his duty immediately.
The point of view – second person point of view - employed shows the aesthetical prowess of Chimamanda, her command of language and aesthetical production of fiction through a direct point of view so as to create an emergency atmosphere in the reader and all sectors of government.
© Joshua OLADEBO 2022
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