On the book Americana by Chimamanda Ngozi, Adichie
Required length: 4 pages (not including title and works cited pages)
Required format: MLA style
Write a four-page essay on one of the following topics:
What does Adichie reveal in America nah about our contemporary world? Is the novel really about race? Is it really a love story? Is it, as The Washington Post reviewer wrote, “a social satire masquerading as a love story”? Identify what you consider to be at the heart of the novel, and support your answer by closely referring to the text.
In composing your response, please be sure to include a clear thesis near the start of your paper and support this main idea through the well-organized body of the work with specific references to the text (feel free to use quotes from the novel).
Couch your discussion of the primary text, for the most part, in the present tense. This is a major convention of literary analysis—to write about the author’s work and the events of the novel as if they are happening again as we discuss them (as you write about the action and events of the story, avoid toggling between the present and past tenses).
Note, this essay should be mainly your own analysis. However, you’re welcome to refer to two or three additional secondary commentaries in your discussion on the novel, e.g., from professional book reviews, such as those from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, etc., or other reputable sources.
A Research Guide is provided under the Help Forum and Resources Module. Please reference the Research Guide for information on how to conduct research for your paper.
