Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a guest on News Central TV’s Literati programme, offered profound insights into the often-overlooked role of class in shaping global perspectives.
Adichie emphasised the need for more robust discussions around class, alongside race and biological sex, and highlighted her enduring interest in cross-class connections.
“I think that we often talk about race and biological sex, as we should, but I don’t think we talk enough about class,” Adichie stated. She firmly believes that “class plays a huge role in how we look at the world” and expressed her consistent fascination with the dynamics between different social strata.
This interest is deeply embedded in her literary work, as exemplified by her acclaimed novel, “Half of a Yellow Sun.” Adichie revealed that the “soul of the book is the houseboy,” a deliberate choice that challenges conventional narrative expectations. “I think in general we don’t expect the houseboy to be the soul of a novel,” she remarked, underscoring her commitment to giving voice and depth to characters from all backgrounds.
While acknowledging her own “relative class privilege,” Adichie stressed that socioeconomic standing is often a matter of “luck” or “the good fortune of birth.”
She passionately argued against making assumptions about individuals’ abilities based solely on their class. “Just because a person didn’t have that doesn’t necessarily mean that we can make other conclusions about their abilities,” she asserted.
Discussing the character Kajeto from her work, Adichie noted her distinctiveness due to a lack of formal education, yet highlighted a profound wisdom that, in some ways, other characters lacked.
However, Adichie was careful to avoid romanticising this wisdom, explaining, “I didn’t want to make it a kind of romanticised wisdom… because I think that also is very dehumanising.”
Ultimately, she concluded that Kajeto serves as a binding force, uniting diverse characters who, despite their differences, would set them aside for her.
