My Mother The Crazy African American Analysis

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In Amanda Ngozi Adichie’s short story, “My Mother, the Crazy African American,” it presents mainly the relationship between mother and daughter’s relationship and their misunderstandings and struggles. Ralindu grew up in Nigeria. Ralindu’s father works in America and three years after his residency was approved Ralindu came to America, and she is now getting used to American style. This situation has cause problems with her mom who came to America with her. Her mother still sticks to their Nigerian traditions like foods and their mannerisms and she wants her daughter, Ralindu, to act like her. Ralindu wants to act as a typical American teenager and that induces the disconnection with Nigerian culture which causes misunderstandings and arguments in the relationship with her mother. Ralindu has adopt to American culture which makes her want to act like an American kid such as Matt, her American boyfriend, and Cathy, her American friend. In the beginning of the story, Ralindu says: “ I hate having an accent….I can hear them laughing inside because I am not American. Now I only reply to Father’s Igbo with English.” It represents that Ralindu wants to be treated like an American kid. Ralindu hates how people sees that she is …show more content…

Ralindu’s disconnection with her Nigerian culture makes her mother feel disappointed with her. In the end of the story, her mother is so disappointed of the way she acted the night Matt came in their house. Moreover, when Matt had said her mother was a “crazy ass African,” Ralindu did not even react at his statement, she even wants to laugh at what he had said. Ralindu should show respect to her mother. Her mother is just being protective of her and she just wants Ralindu to stay as Ralindu, her Nigerian

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