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Simone Felber

Professor Celello

English 101

5 April 2022

My Analysis of Another Author’s Reflection

Throughout reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s piece “It is Obscene: a True

Reflection in Three Parts” about her encounter with two people that took advantage of her and

then her reflection of the youth within our society, many mixed emotions present themselves.

While the story was touching and the outcomes might not have been exactly what was hoped for,

the author specifically does an amazing job leveling her fame with whoever is reading her words.

Adichie's utilization of word choice to influence her audience's emotions provides a portion of

her own perspective through readers' eyes. Rather than putting down and telling the youth she

writes of that they are no good, she simply ejects herself from the situation assuming society

won’t change and asks God for help.

Adichie uses descriptive, heartfelt words to convey her writing to readers. Not only does

include plenty of examples, she also includes direct conversations exchanged to and from her

email. While her words were impactful, she also used some larger and harder to understand

words that might confuse readers. For example, reading through part three, I genuinely felt every

word and was absorbing the emotions in her writing. However, when I came across the sentence,

“...sophistication in this case being a showing-off of how au fait they are on the current version

of ideological orthodoxy” it made me forget about the story for a moment and attempt to figure

out what “au fait” is through context clues. While I completely understand the need to get her

point across, this sentence seemed to defeat the purpose. Personally, I found it wordy while
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simultaneously trying to make readers feel how hurt she was. After a short time spent soaking in

the words of that sentence, I have to admit it was made all the more impactful. I could really

grasp the depth of the pain this woman felt. In fact, it almost felt as if I were sitting across from

this woman having a conversation with her and was a participant in this whole event. From the

beginning, in the first paragraph of part 1, I felt completely entranced with this woman’s writing.

Her wording eludes the reader, makes them feel involved, it even makes readers gasp and ask,

“What happened next?”

Another concept that Adichie handles well when it comes to word choice is her

exceptional ability to level her fame with her audience. Though she does mention her position on

the metaphorical totem pole when it comes to fame, her words truly strike anybody reading her

paper. When writing on the views people have towards famous people, she states, “But the truth

is that the famous person remains irretrievably human. Fame does not inoculate the famous

person from disappointment and depression, fame does not make you any less angered or hurt by

the duplicitous nature of people.” Meaning that in the end they are genuinely just people. She

then goes on to discuss the misconceptions society has about famous people and how they are

“assumed to have power” and that “people often ignore the vulnerability that comes with fame.”

In a separate instance, Adichie actually gives an example of a time her fame was mishandled. As

it can be understood with any situation, Ngozi wanted to keep certain aspects of her life a bit

private. As a matter of fact, she states that her first troubling experience with one of these people

was, “...when she posted a photo taken in my house, at a time when I did not want any photos of

my personal life on social media.” Considering Chimamanda was having issues with the 2017

trans women incident and the arrival of her baby, we can only speculate what she did not want

publicized. Regardless, this person posted a photo of her private life that she specifically asked
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for the privatization of. Since she has a larger following because of her fame, it was inevitably

seen. Moreover, forgetting for just a moment that she is famous, this person whom Ngozi

thought was her friend showed complete disregard for her private life to begin with by posting

that image. Through Adichie’s descriptive words of the heartbreak she endured, she connects on

a deep emotional level with her audience.

Chimamanda breaks her story into three passionate parts. Whereas part one and two were

spent relaying the events that occured, I feel she shows her true reflection in part three. Her main

points were targeted at the youth of our society and how social media affects them. Through her

expressive words, readers get a hint of how she thinks about social media- that they can preach

about kindness but can’t actually show any, their lives are completely different than how they

actually live, and that people care more about the appearance of goodness rather than actual

goodness. And while social media does play a part in the story that unfolded with Adichie, the

people she writes about are a product of our evil society. Her argument still rings strong: “We are

no longer human beings. We are now angels jostling to out-angel one another.” Unfortunately,

there is more truth than lies to this statement and it can be seen in her two examples written in

this piece. From the petty attacks to the wishful death upon Chimamanda, one can only imagine

how many others are out there attacking people that have helped them come so far. Ngozi’s

elaborate account of the events help to truly show how unfortunate the youth of our nation has

fallen and how social media can play a large role in their downfall.

Adichie poured her heart into her three part story of her encounter with two young people

that took advantage of her. While she does an incredible job of structuring her sentences to

appeal to pathos, she also forms analogies and examples that are easily understood. Her work

also reflects her ability to not return the favor when she is stabbed in the back, but rather take a
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peaceful approach and ignore the person directly. While anybody can read “It Is Obscene: A

True Reflection In Three Parts,” I feel it is necessary to forewarn readers of the emotional toll

this story can take on you. In fact, her last two sentences are the most memorable- “God help us.

It is obscene.” Speaking of society, youth, and social media, Adichie reaches out past those

within the society. Her plea to God shows just how serious situations like these two can affect

someone. Maybe one day we may come back from the psychological torture we endure from

those who have been sucked too deep into the cruelness of the world.