Ted Talk

In this Ted Talk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie used a literary view to explain that we need to broaden our view of other cultures. She began by explaining that her literature exposure was limited to British authors who painted a simple picture of British culture. She found that this reading content was not relatable to her Nigerian nationality and culture. She explains that when she began reading novels by African authors, a mental shift began to happen. She said that by experiencing other, variable stories, she was saved from having a limited understanding of what literature portrayed. She frequently references single stories as a complication of limited, perceived cultural information. She explained that this limited view of culture was not strictly limited to the literary world, but it was also present in media coverage and dialogue about people’s perceptions. This was made evident in the way she viewed the …show more content…
I learned that we need to be advocates of broadening the single story of a nation and/or culture. Literature, media, and people’s dialogue of culture can play a role in portraying “single story” cultures. It is our responsibility to expand our knowledge base of other cultures. Furthermore, we must share individual experiences as they will also broaden other peoples knowledge of our culture. There are many different stories that reflect variable walks of life, cultures, subcultures, and individuals. It is the variability of these stories that influence a person’s character and perspective. As such, we must engage all stories of an individual and emphasize differences. There must be a balance of stories because stories are pivotal to the propagation of traditions, values, perspectives, and differences. Stories must be told inclusively, variably, and credibly because stories have the power to humanize and individualize the lives of its