Shawty got that existential narcissism

Ifemelu’s Blog

Explain the role Ifemelu’s blog plays in her life. Why do you think she writes it? Why do you think it is popular? What does her blog suggest about her experience in America?

Ifemelu’s blog is an arena for her to analyzes race relations in America through the perspective of a non-American Black woman.  Her blog is attracts a large following not only because the subject matter of her blog is unique, but also because of the lens through which she examines her daily interactions. As a woman of color, she is of course subject to the usual stereotypes and tensions that exist for black people. However, as an immigrant from African she cannot identify with the typical life on an African American either.

Through her dry wit and unique titles, Ifemelu’s writing earns her blog a huge fan base. She takes the daily occurrences of her life, and puts a humorous spin on them. She does not approach the topic of race in an angry or self-righteous way, but rather paints a portrait of the reality of race. In her small interactions with other Americans, white or black, she reflects upon the subtle implications that race has on all aspects of life. Ifemelu does not preach or criticize outright and it is up to her readers to interpret her writing in whatever way they chose. Of course, there is no mistaking the almost satirical tone to her writing.

Her experiences have showed her that race relations do not always follow what is expected. For example, the dreadlocked social activist on the train only cared for causes that are not mainstream and tells her that “black people need to get over themselves.” One the flip side, the poorly white middle manager she met on a flight is raising an adopted black child despite the looks from his community. The black community is able to relate with Ifemelu’s experiences, as they are a reflection of their own. Stereotypes no longer hold true, but that is also the reason why Ifemelu begins to feel lost.

Ifemelu is struggling with building an identity for herself and she tries to find through the workings of life in America, through the different kinds of people she meets, and through her words. To her readers, Ifemelu is writing to reveal the realities of race in America, but the truth is that Ifemelu is writing to figure out her place in America. She separates herself from the black community in America from the beginning, as she blogs through the perspective of an outsider. Because of this stance, she is unable to form meaning connections with the people in her life and online. The more she writes, the more lost she becomes. The more people comment on her blog, the more she begins to second guess who she is. Despite her success in academia, she ultimately decides to return back to Nigeria because her experiences in America have left her with “cement in her soul.” She is unable to envision a life in America, where she will alway remain an outsider.

3 Responses to “Ifemelu’s Blog”

  1. Alexander Chan

    I like the point you made that the more Ifemelu tried to make sense about Race in America, the more lost she became. It is very true because superficially, there is either racism or not, but in reality, the depth of the topic of Race is much more profound and Ifemelu realizes this, which is why her blog titles are so scattered and not centered primarily on racism. Good post, Pragya!

  2. Kelsey Virginia Shampoe

    I never considered that Ifemelu writes to find her place, but now that you point it out, it certainly seems so. Yes, she writes to document her experiences in America and her adjustment to an entirely different culture, but it never occurred to me that, in blogging, she solidifies, or attempts to solidify, her own place in this unfamiliar culture. Judging by her accounts of life in Nigeria, I doubt that blogging is a prevalent past time there, making her blog itself an obvious emblem of her new “Americanah” way of life, as her friends jokingly refer to it.

  3. Aracelis Angelica Velez

    I really like your take on Ifemelu’s blog. I never thought of her blog as a means of finding herself. It’s easy to see early on though that she does not exactly feel at home in America, so I completely agree with what you’ve written here. Everyone that she talks to finds it strange that she has been successful in America yet wants to return to Nigeria, but ultimately if she feels that nagging “cement in her soul”, she has not really been successful.

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