Americah Survival Quotes

Survival of fittest describes one of the most fundamental aspects of biology. Specifically, we see this within our own societies. Considering the concept of Darwinism, when put into a stressful situation a person will do anything to survive – it is a primal instinct within ourselves as biological organisms. These concepts of Darwinism are especially seen today in general society, from which are highlighted within the characters from the novel, Americanah. Within the novel, the broad concept of survival can be broken down into financial means and social means of survival. These aspects of survival in turn affect the two fundamental themes of gender roles and cultural identity. By examining Ifelmu’s and Aunt Uju’s immigrant experience using the

Additionally, Ifelmu holds herself on a high pedestal, and her values and independence as a woman allow her to do so. When she is with Obinze in Nigeria, he describes her as, “’the kind of person who will do something because you want to, and not because everyone else is doing it” (Adichie p.72). By describing Ifelmu in this way, Obinze thereby shows a reader that Ifelmu is an independent woman who does not necessarily rely on others for validation. In other words, she does not allow other people’s opinions of her change who she is as a person – in Nigeria. It is important to note that she is in a familiar environment, thus she feels confident. Unlike Ifelmu, Aunt Uju was completely reliant on The General for money and validation as a person. As a result of being The General’s mistress, Aunt Uju has a higher social status in addition to lavish lifestyle. Once The General dies, Aunt Uju has nothing in her name, and because of the political turmoil in Nigeria, she has to flee to America. Aunt Uju’s situation shows the negative results of being completely dependent on another person because once The General left, she lost her social status and home. Overall, Ifelmu’s independence represents a contradiction to an otherwise patriarchal society, whereas Aunt Uju plays directly into this aspect in Nigeria. This, however, does change once they are living in a new environment – the United States of