Grays 1

Ajami Grays
Professor Sipin
2 October 2014

Perception
Perspective is a view on anything whether it is learned or taught. Perspectives are always
changing throughout daily life since the beginning of time. In The Danger of a Single Story by
Chimamanda Adichie and the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame both explore the harsh and
falsely perceived stories about who they are and where they come from that changes the way
society view them, but differ in how people respond to their nature.
Adichies story and The Hunchback of Notre Dame concentrate on people with a single
story that can make them shadow themselves from the real world. The Hunchback of Notre
Dame apprehends the stereotype of a young, kind-hearted man who is born with a deformity and
was taught to hide himself from the world simply because he is different. The society around him
thought that whatever their Archdeacon said and whatever they personally thought on their own
was automatically right. These accusations led to the society around the young man to believe
that he was evil/the devil because he didnt look like everyone else. Adichie aims towards the
people who lack exploring more perspectives in the world. Adichie was once subjected to the
single stories of the people around her. In one of her stories she speaks on how her roommate
concocted a single story about her before she even got the chance to meet her, In this single
story there was no possibility of Africans being similar to her in any way, no possibility of
feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals. (4:49). People
that make accusations about something they have no real knowledge of knowing, shows how
uneducated the person really is. Adichie and this young man show what it is to be falsely

Grays 2
perceived by the world. The young man is absent minded to the world because he fears that he is
a monster and will scare everyone, when in reality the Archdeacon has put the fear and lack of
knowledge into the people. Adichie reveals Power is the ability just to tell the story of another
person, but to make it the definitive story of that person. (10:11), this means that when people
are told something by a superior, they will go with it because of their role/strength of power.
Quasimodos (the young man) supposed stepfather is powerful in Notre Dame and wants his land
to be rid of anyone that isnt a norm. When Quasimodo questions his stepfather about exploring
the world around him his stepfather (Archdeacon) replies to him that he is too ugly and will
frighten people. In reality the superior placed these fears into the people just by messing with
their thoughts and beliefs because he had the power to do so.
In contrast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame only has one story, which is his mental battle
within himself because of how he looks and what he was made to believe of himself. With one
story it makes it difficult to see other circumstances and situations that could take place.
Quasimodo eventually gets a chance to explore the world and learns that there is more to him
besides what people see on the outside and what was forced into their heads. While both pieces
undergo difficult situations, Adichie becomes more productive and confident throughout her life,
while Quasimodo as far as the film says explores the world outside his tower. Adichie has
several stories that focus on her determination and will power that goes to show that she will
continue to pursue and educate others about her culture. She states when we reject the single
story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of
paradise. (17:55), she tells the world that she stopped having single stories of places and once
everyone else stops the world will be at peace. Those words go to show that the world can be a
better place for everyone to have an equal opportunity to strive in.

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Adichies Danger of a Single Story and The Hunchback of Notre Dame conclude that
no matter how people saw them, they should push forward and conquer their lives. Society needs
to be more open to different stories and cultures throughout the world, instead of being secluded
from knowledge. Both pieces come together about the challenging paths they faced and how they
overcame them. Although Quasimodo has a different story, he was still placed in a single story
simply because he was born different and someone higher in position made others believe he
should be treated differently, this made it seem as if all deformed or disabled people are
undesirable. Adichie wants and hopes that society will open their eyes to the full stories and
many components of culture so that we can all strive together equally and live in peace, instead
of going and making false assumptions about things people havent taken the time out to learn
about.

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Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, perf. The Danger of a Single Story. TEDGlobal, 2009. Web. 2 Oct.
2014. <http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story>.

Trousdale, Gary. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Walt Disney, 1996. Movie. 2 Oct. 2014