The Case Study Based On "The Thing Around Your Neck"
- Why did Akunna move to USA?
Akunna moved to USA because she thought that everyone in America led a good life. A good life means having a car, a big house, and personal protection, which is, owning a gun.
• What were her expectations?
She expected a lot of job opportunities that would enable her to earn a lot of money.
•What were her family’s expectations?
Her family expected that in a month’s time Akunna would have accumulated so much money that she could afford to own a big house as well as a car. Apart from this, they expected that she would send them commodities such as shoes, clothes and perfumes.
•How did the expectations match with reality?
Her expectations did not match the reality because in America the life was about ‘give and take’. Nothing came the easy way, for instance, the uncle who had promised to give her accommodation until she was fine, wanted sexual favours from her.
•What were local perceptions of her?
The locals thought that the world where Akunna came from did not have houses and neither had they seen a car. Also, they thought that she was accustomed to eating all sorts of animals including the squirrels.
•What were the perceptions of others of Africa/Nigeria? How did Akunna react to this?
The perceptions of other Nigeria/Africa living in the USA is that she was a grown-up woman who was supposed to give in to the sexual advances as a way to secure a well-paying job. She was very shocked and had to move out of her ‘uncle’s’ house.
•Discuss Akunna’s coping strategies. How effective were these?
Akunna’s strategies involved accepting to work in a restaurant for two dollars less compared to other waitresses. The strategy was effective because she secured a job and she was paid a dollar less. •What part did food play in the story? The food represents the basic needs that Akunna was in need of.
•What was the significance of gifts/presents in the story?
The significance of the gifts and presents in the story is to express the feelings or the attraction the local had towards Akunna as well as the value of their relationship.
•What were the challenges in the relationship she formed with a local?
The relationship that Akunna formed with the local faced challenges in areas of lifestyle and culture. Akunna’s life back home was full of poverty and the local could not eat the kind of food they ate, mostly because he did not agree with the way they prepared it. • When he told her ….”He understood how you (she)felt”……why did she react the way she did? She reacted this way because she thought he was haughty in that he though the world comprised of …