Story 7: The Thing Around Your Neck

 

On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 7 titled The Thing Around Your Neck.

Okayyyy, this one had me confused for most of the story because I was constantly trying to figure out what exactly the thing around her neck was.

 

First of all, can we talk about the narration? This wasn't the usual first person or third person POV. It was written in second person, and my goodness, was it flawless? It felt like the story was happening to you and not just being told to you.

The story follows Akunna, who wins a visa lottery and moves to America carrying the hopes and expectations of everyone back home. But almost immediately, things begin to fall apart. The America she imagined and the America she finds are not the same.

 

One thing that stood out to me was Akunna's decision to walk away from an unpleasant situation even when she had no clear alternative. For me, that was the highlight of the story.

 

In the middle of uncertainty, fear, and desperation, she chose herself.

And I think that's powerful because we live in a world that constantly tells us we must give up pieces of ourselves to get ahead. That some opportunities are worth any sacrifice. But this story quietly pushes back against that idea.

For me, the thing around her neck was expectations, anxiety, disappointment, and loneliness. It was the weight of trying to survive in a place that never quite felt like home, the struggle of carrying everyone else's dreams while slowly losing sight of your own.

 

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the thing around her neck wasn't just one thing, it was everything she couldn't say out loud.

A confusing read at first, but one that has stayed with me long after I finished it.

 

Dearest reader, what is the thing around your neck?

#thethingaroundyourneck

#ChimamandaNgoziAdichie

#BookReview

@favvy_Okwans🖤.