November 28

A factor affecting what you feel from a book

How much does your own race affect the experience of reading this or any novel? Does race affect a reader’s ability to identify or empathize with the struggles of Ifemelu and Obinze?

A person’s race does indeed affect the experience they get from a book. No two people can have the exact same experience from reading a book. This is why there are so many perspectives out there and why communicating with other people who have read the book you have just finished is so enjoyable. The depth of each sentence is felt differently by many people. As much as we would like to say everyone is treated the same in this world this is not true. People judge others based on the way you look and your race. This is why there are so many stereotypes. Such as asians are smart or africans are athletic. The experiences that a person has gone through in this world. Shape his/her understanding and emotions. The color of you skin and where you belong play a big role in the experience you feel. Although they might deny it,  almost all people have been treated differently based on their race. This is how race affects the experience of reading a book. Books make you understand them by making connections with your experiences. When you do, you’re understanding of the book affects the emotion the you feel from the book. Meaning the more in common you have with the book the better you’re understanding of the book. This results in, more emotions you feel from the book. This is why not all people are brought to tears when reading books such as ‘The fault in our stars’.

Americanah is a book that comments on the racism in America. A protagonist Ifemelu is a African immigrant to America. The book focuses on her journey navigating through a place she taught anyone can make it big in because of the American dream. That anyone can become anything. She realizes that this was false, not anyone can become anything only someone can. Someone who has straight hair and preferably has white skin. This is what she realised America is. A racist country that says they are not racist.

Now, if a Black person living in a white mans country picks up this book. This book would resonate with he/she a lot because the experience they went through would be quite similar to the experiences Ifemelu is going through in America. If a white person picked up Americanah all he would see is the stereotypical white person. He would feel that this person does not represent the whole white community. He would not understand that this is what an average black american experiences. This is more than enough evidence that race does influence a persons experience of reading a book. As Americanah would resonate more with a black person.

Ifemelu wrote in one of her blogs that, “black people are not supposed to be angry about racism” because their anger makes whites uncomfortable. Do you agree? I can see why she would write this. Not all white people are racist to Black people. But the white people who are not racist should understand the Blacks are not protesting all the white people. They are just protesting the white people in their life who have been racist to them. So, black people should be open about their anger, but not just to anyone rather be more specific about the people you show your anger to because not all white people are racist.

November 27

How much does your own race affect the experience of reading this or any novel?

To begin with, lets specifically look at Americanah, and how the race or identity of the reader will affect the way that they could interpret the novel. The novel, focuses on the struggles of Ifemelu as she migrates to the US. Being a “black” woman in the US, she is definitely treated differently in some situations. If the reader reading this was a white male, he would not be able to relate or understand the deeper meaning behind the situations that Ifemelu faces. For example if she were rejected from a job offer, due to her wearing her natural hair, a white male could understand that it would affect her but would move on and try for another job, however if it were read by a black woman, whom has experienced the same situations they could further understand the situation and the struggles that Ifemelu faced, emotionally and mentally due to being rejected.

Now looking at the bigger scale, it is evident the the identity of the reader changes the way that they perceive a book. This is mostly because of the situations, experiences, and events that the characters go through and the deeper meaning behind the event or choice in every race, culture, age, gender. Some situations may seem small in one race but seem as a big choice and decision in another race. Events like, marriage, migration, pregnancy, birthdays, anniversary, christmas (as well as other religious events) are all events that may seem more important or more affecting in one race/culture to another.

I don’t completely disagree with the statement, because i can understand from where the statement is coming from. If black people were to have a protest because of racism in a country, it could make whites or other races uncomfortable because they would seem as the enemy in the situation. However, the fact that whites or other races are feeling uncomfortable should not stop blacks from being angry due to racism and discrimination against them. This is because the emotions felt form being discriminated against in any way are more affecting than the feeling of being uncomfortable.

November 27

Reader Response Criticism

My own race gives me a clearer perspective on the main characters of this novel, especially Ifemelu. I migrated to a new country when I was younger, and so understand much of the paranoia, and confusion that Ifemelu felt when she first migrated to America. Many people who have experienced the struggles that Ifemelu and Obinze felt after migrating would empathize with them: it was not their fault for migrating, they were only seeking a better life.

“How easy it was to lie to strangers, to create with strangers the versions of our lives we imagined.” Ifemelu and Obinze may not have lived a life of fame and wealth in Nigeria, but believed, like any other migrant, that they would be able to start fresh in this new land, ‘where all dreams were possible’.

Ifemelu writes in her own blog that “black people are not supposed to be angry about racism” because their anger makes whites uncomfortable. This is absurd. Essentially, racism is the belief that one’s own race is superior to that of all or specific others, and treating an individual from another race with inferiority. Ifemelu stands against racism, and yet contradicts her own views by supporting that blacks should remain silent. It would have been clear that, at the time, blacks were reminded of ‘white power’ through racial abuse on a day to day basis. Therefore, the majority of African-Americans may have believed Ifemelu’s quote to be true, and unknowingly let racism prolong.