Publisher:
Harper
Collins.
Year: 2014.
Pages: 52.
ISBN-13: 978-0008115272.
Mark: 9/10
Abstract:
A
personal and powerful essay from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the bestselling
author of ‘Americanah’ and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, based on her 2013 TEDx Talk
of the same name. What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the
heart of We Should All Be Feminists, a personal, eloquently-argued essay –
adapted from her much-viewed Tedx talk of the same name – by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie, the award-winning author of ‘Americanah’ and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’.
With humour and levity, here Adichie offers readers a unique definition of
feminism for the twenty-first century – one rooted in inclusion and awareness.
She shines a light not only on blatant discrimination, but also the more
insidious, institutional behaviours that marginalise women around the world, in
order to help readers of all walks of life better understand the often masked
realities of sexual politics. Throughout, she draws extensively on her own
experiences – in the U.S., in her native Nigeria – offering an artfully nuanced
explanation of why the gender divide is harmful for women and men, alike.
Argued in the same observant, witty and clever prose that has made Adichie a
best-selling novelist, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it
means to be a woman today – and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should
all be feminists.
Publisher:
Fourth
Estate.
Year: 2017.
Pages: 96.
IBSN-13: 978-0008275709
Mark: 9/10
Abstract:
From the
best-selling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists comes a
powerful new statement about feminism today--written as a letter to a friend.
A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a dear
friend from childhood, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist.
Dear Ijeawele is Adichie's letter of response. Here are fifteen invaluable
suggestions--compelling, direct, wryly funny, and perceptive--for how to
empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman. From encouraging her
to choose a helicopter, and not only a doll, as a toy if she so desires; having
open conversations with her about clothes, makeup, and sexuality; debunking the
myth that women are somehow biologically arranged to be in the kitchen making
dinner, and that men can "allow" women to have full careers, Dear
Ijeawele goes right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first
century. It will start a new and urgently needed conversation about what it
really means to be a woman today."
PERSONAL VALORATION
Justification
The first time I heard about Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie was thanks to his TED talk "The danger of a single
story", a powerful call for attention about the implications of being
exposed to a unique narrative and a unique way of understanding things in the
construction of our identity and our conception of the world. However, it was
not until very recently when I met up with her again and with her more feminist
side. A year ago I read the first of these essay-books, "We all should be
feminists" (also based on a TED talk with the same name), when I wrote an essay about my
identification process as a feminist. And, suddenly, when I was desperate
looking for more material on this subject, Sarah bought herself (in a beautiful
paper edition) "We should all be feminists" and “Dear Ijeawele, or a
Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions”.
"We should
all be feminists" plot
If I had to recommend an
initial reading on the subject of feminism, this book would undoubtedly be my
first choice. In fact, that is precisely what happened in my case: when I put
my doubts to a professor at the university (what should I start to read about
feminism?) she recommended me reading the transcript of this talk.
"We should all be feminists" is
a short essay (it is read very fast) and dynamic in which are shown personal
experiences, ideas about feminism, reflections on society and culture ... under
the idea that gives the name to the title: WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS. Personally, I think that it deals with the most
important questions that appear when you start to address this issue: why the
word feminism?, why does that word have so many negative connotations?, what
happens when you start to see gender problems?, what process is followed in the
identification as feminist?...So it is a mandatory reading for
anyone.
Honestly, I can not think
of a better way to explain why everyone should read this book (and,
incidentally, be a feminist) than through Chimamanda's own words:
Some
people ask: “Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in
human rights, or something like that?” Because that would be dishonest.
Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general—but to choose to use
the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular
problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who
have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the
problem of gender targets women.
My own
definition is a feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem
with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us,
women and men, must do better.
“Dear Ijeawele,
or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions” plot:
This essay is an
adapted version of a letter that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote to a friend who
asked her advice to raise her newborn daughter as a feminist. The author
proposes 15 suggestions with which to achieve this goal. Thus, topics such as
maternity, parenting, reading, marriage, gender roles, identity, physical
appearance, sexuality, love, difference... are treated.
This book has been a
real discovery, one of those books that just reading them you are recommending
to everyone, you are quoting people and you are willing to reread. "Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in
Fifteen Suggestions” is a book of education, of feminism and
humanity. I had not found a book so apparently simple and so complex and
important. I have read some things about education (this is a euphemism for
saying that I have done the degree and two masters specialized in this area)
and this is one of those books that really motivated me to be and teach to be
an honest, kind person, brave, with opinion (and with arguments), humble,
feminist ...
Your
feminist premise should be: I matter. I matter equally. Not “if only.” Not “as
long as.” I matter equally. Full stop.
Be a full
person. Motherhood is a glorious gift, but do not define yourself solely by
motherhood. Be a full person. Your child will benefit from that.
Teach her
never to universalise her own standards or experiences. Teach her that her
standards are for her alone, and not for other people. This is the only
necessary form of humility: the realisation that difference is normal.
Writing
style:
Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie is a dynamic, ironic and direct writer. It has a style with which it is
easy to tune in and once you have read something from her it is easy to
recognize her voice. Her argument is solid, her words make sense and she bases
her writing on her experience. All her works, both the essay-type ones like
these ones, or narratives (like Americanah, Half of a Yellow Sun or Purple Hibiscus ), are based on her experiences and
her worries and that is reflected in the passion with which she writes.
GENERAL COMMENT
"We should all be
feminists" and “Dear
Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions” are two short, dynamic
and simple works that have a great background: they are compulsory readings for
anyone who is interested in feminism and education. Its author, Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie, speaks from experience and uses a clear, ironic and, sometimes,
angry voice, to highlight the current problems she observes while proposing
solutions to these.
-R.
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