The American

Embassy
IBCW2
Group Names: Layan Nowrooz, Younis
Kamali, Sarah Bucheeri
 Brief Summary - Part 1
The story begins by introducing an unnamed woman, the
main character, waiting outside the American embassy.
While waiting in line, she fails to notice or pay attention to the
simple things happening around her, which shows that there
was something very heavy in her mind and that she was
distressed. The woman spirals through a series of flashbacks,
from her son’s death to her husband, whom she helped
escape the country to avoid political repression. Having said
that, her husband’s selfishness, journalistic endeavours, and
irresponsibility towards his family had devastating
consequences.
 Brief Summary - Part 2
Furthermore, the woman is one of the few people selected for an
interview at the embassy where she wants to obtain a visa by seeking
asylum. Before going in, she receives tips from the other people waiting
about the importance of exaggerating her son’s death in order to get the
visa. During the interview, she feels indignant that she has to prove her
anguish and exploit her son’s death to earn the visa. She overhears
others disagreeing with the interviewers and notices the interviewer's
face losing sympathy. Her strong sense of pride leads her to abandon
her intention to immigrate out of respect for herself and her dead son.
By doing that, she demonstrates what true courage is, and not the kind
of courage that is merely selfishness.
 Synopsis of the Characters
The story’s unnamed protagonist is a grieving mother in denial who is trying to
obtain a visa from the American embassy by seeking asylum. She is infuriated by
her husband’s journalistic endeavors and blames him for her son’s death. In the
end, she refuses to exploit her son’s tragic death to obtain a visa, choosing
instead to remain in Nigeria.
Ugonna is the deceased son and true victim in “The American Embassy.” He was
shot and killed by government personnel when he was only four years old.
The unnamed husband of the woman is a journalist who prioritizes his controversial
writings over his familial responsibilities. His family had to suffer the tragic
consequences of his irresponsibility after calling on the government to become
democratic in his last articles.
Other characters in the story include some people who spoke to Ugonna’s
mother in front of the American embassy, the government personnel, the
interviewer, and so on.
 Synopsis of the Key Themes/Ideas
Theme Brief Explanation

Violence Throughout the story, the protagonist is in the midst of a violent struggle. The woman’s
husband was fleeing government oppression. Unrest and violence are depicted in various
parts of the text. For example, while waiting outside the embassy, the narrator witnesses a
soldier flogging a man in the street with a long whip.

Government The unnamed woman attempts to seek asylum in fear of being pursued and executed by
Corruption the government. Her husband had left the country after writing pro-democracy articles
against the government. As a result, his son was murdered by government officials.

Immigrant Experience The main character of the story goes through bureaucratic procedures to obtain a visa.
She is pressured to exploit the story about her son’s death in order to be granted asylum.
However, she explores the harsh reality of the visa process and comes to the realization
that she would rather honor her son’s memory than travel to the U.S.

Loss/Grief The main character explores the theme of loss throughout most of the story experiencing
flashbacks of her son before his brutal death. She had also lost her husband because of his
political views. In addition, with the death of her son, she feels that she has also lost her
identity.
 Select an extract from the text and then highlight the authorial choices employed
and the effect it has on how we understand the text. (PART 1)

“Leave her alone, the other one said. The one with the bald head that gleamed, as
though coated in Vaseline. Let’s go.

She pried herself free and got up from the sofa, and the man in the hooded shirt, still
seated, slapped her behind. It was then that Ugonna started to cry, to run to her. The
man in the hooded shirt was laughing, saying how soft her body was, waving his gun.
Ugonna was screaming now; he never screamed when he cried, he was not that
kind of child. Then the gun went off and the palm oil splash appeared on Ugonna’s
chest.

‘See oranges here,’ the man in line behind her said, oʃering her a plastic bag of six
peeled oranges. She had not noticed him buy them.”
Select an extract from the text and then highlight the authorial choices employed
and the effect it has on how we understand the text. (PART 2)

Throughout the entirety of the story, flashbacks are employed as a

literary element. As portrayed in the chosen extract, the flashback
interrupts the structure of the storyline in a sense that it creates an
alternation between events in the past and present. As for how it
affects one’s understanding of the text, the description of the scenes
creates vivid images in the reader’s mind, making them feel like they
are also part of the story. In addition, flashbacks increase the
suspense within the text in a way that impacts the way the reader
sympathizes with the character throughout the passage. Last but not
least, this authorial choice provides detailed background information
about certain situations, making it an essential element to the story.
 The Text’s Relation to the Author
The author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, was born seven years after a violent
conflict in a post-war society that was still recovering. The consequences of
the war were still evident at the time. Chaos, starvation, government
corruption, and mass killings were witnessed. Likewise, the story is set in
Nigeria following the country’s civil war, where people were subjected to
government brutality. The military ruled the country in the sense that they
had complete control over everything. Moreover, Adichie had left Nigeria to
pursue her dream career in the United States. Similarly, the protagonist
attempts to flee Nigeria for a better life. Therefore, they both share the
experience of “The American Embassy.”
The Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
 References
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Fortunes of war and peace. (2006). Retrieved, from
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/chimamanda
-ngozi-adichie-fortunes-of-war-and-peace-412278.html