“The Headstrong Historian” by Chimamanda Adichie



“The Headstrong Historian” by Chimamanda Adichie

Discussion Questions: After reading the short story, answer the following questions. Bullet points are just fine. Bring this with you on the day of the final to receive completion points.

1. Some have argued that Adichie, “addresses colonialism in a more head-on way… it felt like a tribute to Things Fall Apart, but from a woman’s perspective.” Do you feel that this is a fair assessment of the story? Why or why not? What does the reader gain from reading this type of situation from a female perspective?

2. Nwamgba makes pottery, but she’s also a story-teller. Her granddaughter thinks of the stories as poetry, but her teachers insist that it is primitive “call and response” and not true poetry. How does the last paragraph support Grace’s claim that it is poetic and not “primitive call and reponse” (what stylistic technique does Adichie employ to make it seem poetic)?

3. Why does Nwamgba send Anikwenwa to the Catholic school? What did she feel that he would gain from the school? What DID he gain from the school? What sacrifices were made for him to attend the school (both by him and her)?

4. Do you feel that Nwamgba made the right decision to send Anikwenwa to the school? Did she have any other alternative (obviously, hindsight is 20/20 so put yourself in her shoes at the time of her decision)?

5. Why were the missionaries there in the first place? What does it mean to “pacify” the Nigerian tribes? Why do you think Achebe and Adichie both wrote stories about these attempts at pacification? Who wins in the end with this colonialism?

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