My Mother The Crazy African American Analysis

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

from a different country. Whenever would people ask her where she came from she would rather say Philadelphia than Nigeria: “ I still say I am from Philadelphia when Mother isn’t there…Just like I call myself Lin when she isn’t there.” Ralindu wants people to call her “Lin” because “Ralindu” is an Igbo name that her mother gave her. Matt, her boyfriend, does not even know her real name. Furthermore, Ralindu thinks American people does not care about ancestral village or lineage which is also the reason why she does not say Nigeria. It portrays that she wants people to know that she is an American rather than Nigerian.
Ralindu is creating a disconnection with her Nigerian culture because of her desire to be like an American kid. In the story, Ralindu’s mother would always welcome new Nigerians in the city, but Ralindu thinks that the newcomers should not be with them and eating her mother’s dish. Ralindu would rather speak English with the ‘accidental guest’ who are Nigerians than speaking Igbo. Also, in the story, Ralindu was embarrassed in speaking in Igbo when Matt was at their house: “She (Ralindu’s mother) ask if we are almost done in Igbo, and before I say yes, I pause for a long moment so Matt won’t think I understand Igbo.” This demonstrates that Ralindu pretends that she does not know much about Nigeria’s language and culture. Ralindu acts like she wants to prevent people from knowing she is a Nigerian and grew up to Nigeria.
Ralindu’s mother wants her daughter to retain her identity as a Nigerian but Ralindu has been acting up against it. In the story, Ralindu’s mother says: “‘see how much food these people are wasting, America!… ‘see how much they have marked down prices from last week, America!”’ This clearly represents that Ralindu’s mother abominates the American ways. Furthermore, whenever Ralindu would do something in American way, her mother would scold her. Ralindu’s mother would always acknowledge her to use the Nigerian way. For example, whenever Ralindu eats pizza and fries, her mother always grunts. When Cathy’s mother tells Ralindu to call her by her first name, Miriam, her mother exclaims at her saying that children never calls elders by their first names. It explains that Ralindu’s mother wants to signify that she wants her daughter to be like her following the traditions and manners as a Nigerian kid.
Ralindu’s mother wants Ralindu to follow the traditions of Nigeria which makes Ralindu be stuck between the two culture, but she wants to fit in with the American teenagers and this has cause the disengagement with her Nigerian culture.

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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