Adichie seems to observe people as an outsider. The funny thing is, everyone is virtually an “outsider” to everyone else until we get to know them. However, she seems to make her observations based off of comparing habits, actions, and customs of the people she is surrounded by in the United States and from the people in her homeland in Africa. She notices the hussle and bussle of the subway and how people go about their daily lives and carry opinions about the world issues.

In a way she tries to hold onto her customs by going far out of town to get her hair braided, but she seems extremely quick to hide her habits and customs of her homeland under the burning gazes of other people. She notices how the hair stylists talk, and can easily pinpoint where they are from, and she judges the place in all of its messy spots, knowing where these people are coming from. She knows the air conditioner was broken for awhile and knows they struggle in this country because of where they came from. However, she seems quite judgmental of those ladies even though she was an immigrant herself, who had to fight to change and make her new life here in the United States. In talking about how she wants her hair done, she insists it not be done the “usual” way, but simply how she wants it. And she attempts to avoid the conversation of marriage that her people back at home follow. I am unsure if she embraces her heritage like she insists she does, or if her stay in the United States has allowed her to assimilate into society. It seems like she is a bit ashamed of where she came from and how they act. I guess that happens when people want to be civic and join in amongst the causes society supports?