The Coming of John

 

•  What is the danger of a single story according to Chimamande Adichie?

The danger of a single story is that that is the only information you have and all that you know, therefore leading you to assume that that is all there is to a person or a place. It doesn’t give you the whole picture of the story, only a small part. You make assumptions because if you only have a single story, then that is all that you know which normally isn't the truth or the whole truth. 

• Discuss how what she calls “nkali” is part of the danger. What is the truth and problem of stereotypes in her words?

She tells that power is a huge part of single stories, how they are told, when they are told, and who tells them will completely change the story and it is all based on power which is dangerous. Adichie states that “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

• What is the most important idea you’ll take with you from this talk?

For me, the most important idea from this talk was that you don't know a person's entire story just based on the stereotypes and the single story that you know of their culture, or the person's upbringing, or of what the world sees that person or that place to be I think it's important to hear multiple stories from the person and the culture to understand entirely what their upbringing was and who they are as a person and that you cannot just assume you know someone because you have heard a single story told in multiple different ways.

 Part 2 

• Compare and contrast the two lives featured in the short story.

The first life was that James lives in the north which was not exactly that of a white man but he was definitely seen differently in the north at school, than he was in his hometown. In his downtown he was seen as an african american man and nothing more. He was liked, had a good smile and was quite popular among the whites and the people of color but he was still looked down upon due to his skin color. Both lives he was seen as a man of color with little respect but at least up north he could be educated and have a voice of his own. 

• Why do you think W.E.B. DuBois chose to write this as a fictional story rather than drawing upon a real-life example?

I think it is partially easier to write fiction and draw in facts and truths from the real world. I think it makes more of an impact when you curate the story to sound exactly how you want it to sound. I think drawing upon a real world example of such a hard topic often makes people feel uncomfortable, while fiction allows you to draw and base things off of the truth while still having the freedom of it being a story. 

• Discuss the role of education in the life of John Jones particularly. How does his education change how he sees his society and how he sees himself? Do you think that education, beyond preparing a student for a future career, can also change a person?

I think that the life that John was living before was simplified, with little expectations and people just saw him as a cheerful man. After he went to school I think that people now expected something from him that he wasn't necessarily living up to. I think that he saw himself almost higher than those around him  because he had different life experiences than they did and he was now “smarter” than most of them in a sense which changed his personality to come off as more cold and harsh when he first returned. I definitely think that higher education can change a person. I think that as you grow up you learn and grow and change your personality in a sense. I think the major you go into affects the people you are around and in turn changes you as a person. 

• On a personal level, what connection do you draw between Chimamanda Achidie’s Ted Talk and the story told here?

The connection I drew was based on the stereotypes that were assumed about each individual. I think that they both had people assume things about their lives before people even really knew them which isn't fair. I think both had life experiences at school that changed their perspective on the world and the people around them. With Achidie going to the US and john going noth they both experienced things that they never had before which changed their views and thought processes 

• For your final response, choose ONE of the following options: Either, 1) Research and find out more about life during Jim Crow in the South (before the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s). Describe the particular troubles that African Americans faced in this time—OR—2) Consider what has changed in America since over a hundred years have passed since this story’s publication. Find the story of one person of color who was killed unjustly, either by police or by other forces in the community. Using research, discover their story and tell us what you find out.

Life during Jim Crow laws was extraordinarily segregated. People of color were forced to live in separate neighborhoods, drink out of separate water fountains, eat at separate restaurants, use separate bathrooms and more. There was legislation called “black codes” that put many restrictions on african americans. The types of businesses they could own, restricted their ability to own property, and no more than three people of color could gather in one place. During the rise of the Jim Crow laws, uncoincidentally lynchings increased dramatically.  In the 1930s is when the concept of separate but equal was introduced. Which came about after the Plessy v. Ferguson case. This was supposed to keep the african americans and the white people separate but supposedly have equal opportunity. This never was truly the case as the things for the african americans were always dramatically worse and of a much lower quality than the amenities, places and things for the whites.