Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Quotes

As a strong advocator of the feminist movement, Chimamanda has used her novels, speeches, and lifestyle to set a leading example for the younger generation of women eager to champion development.

Feminism

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man.

The quote above was part of a speech made by Chimamanda to shed light on the issues women face. As a feminist and advocator of equality, Chimamanda stressed the importance of empowering and educating women to be self-reliant and not dependent on a man.

Some people ask: “Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights or something like that?” Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general—but to choose to use the vague expression of human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women.

Chimamanda talked about women’s exclusion from the general stage. In her opinion, women have faced exclusion and should get included in world matters.

You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?” Aunty Ifeka said. “Your life belongs to you and you alone.

Gotten from ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ Chimamanda used the quote above to tell women that they should strive to be independent and should never rely on a man for their needs.

Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.

The quote above talks about the power of a woman. Chimamanda stressed the need for women to become strong. In her opinion, a woman should focus on her well-being and progress, not a man.

I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.

In the quote above, Chimamanda stressed the need for feminism to be respected. Chimamanda believes that feminism should be a part of everyday living and hence, respected.

Other quotes by Chimamanda on feminism include:

Teach her that if you criticize X in women but do not criticize X in men, then you do not have a problem with X, you have a problem with women.

Your feminist premise should be: I matter. I matter equally. Not “if only.” Not “as long as.” I matter equally. Full stop.

My own definition is a feminist is a man or a woman who says, ‘yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better.’

Racism

The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters.

Gotten from ‘Americanah,’ Chimamanda used the quote to talk about the racism faced by Africans in America. In her words, she never knew she was black until she went to America. Chimamanda occasionally voiced her opinions and experiences moving to the United States as an African woman.

Racism should never have happened and so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it.

Also gotten from ‘Americanah,’ Chimamanda voiced her opinions on why racism should never have existed in the first place.

Other quotes by Chimamanda on racism include:

Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I’m Jamaican or I’m Ghanaian. America doesn’t care.

Race doesn’t really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don’t have that choice.

I like politics and history and I am happiest when having a good argument about ideas.

Women and Culture

Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture.

In the quote above, Chimamanda stressed the importance of catering to women in culture. Believing that women were never fully represented by cultures, Chimamanda stresses the need for a change as she believes that people influenced and created culture, not the other way.

The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations.

As a feminist, Chimamanda believes the world would be better and safer if the freedom of individuality existed. In her opinion, gender roles created the problem of inequality, and if society could erase those gender barriers, the world would be a better place.

When we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.

Chimamanda used the quote above to talk about how cultures should be malleable because it is the merging of many norms over time that creates new cultures.

Love

This was love: a string of coincidences that gathered significance and became miracles.

Gotten from ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ the quote above defines love in its simplest form. Though an advocator of women’s rights, Chimamanda still believes that love is a necessary part of humanity.

Other quotes by Chimamanda on love include:

Then she wished, more rationally, that she could love him without needing him. Need gave him power without his trying; need was the choicelessness she often felt around him.

There are some things that are so unforgivable that they make other things easily forgivable.

FAQs