Essay Sample on A Private Experience Analysis

Chika and her sister Nnedi were on vacation visiting their aunt in Kano. Riots caused by an altercation between an Igbo and a Hausa man started, and the two sisters became separated. When running, Chika is helped by a Hausa Muslim woman who helps her hide in an abandoned store. She examined the woman and realized that they had very little in common. For instance, she was from a wealthy family, while the woman was an onion vendor in a nearby market.

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Chika’s sister Nnedi had stepped a little further from her sister to purchase groundnuts. When the riot broke, Chika panicked and ran towards a less populated street in search of safety. The Hausa woman was less worried about anyone else’s whereabouts but encouraged Chika to stay calm. The author begins the story by introducing the main characters in the actual story setting- the abandoned store. The body is heated with much action from the riots. The story ends with the two women connecting again.

Chimamanda Ngozi’s “A Private Experience” is no different from most short stories. It is knit or built around one occurrence or instance. Two women, as the main characters, spend a night-time in a deserted store to evade a vicious riot. The tale aims to show the disparity and conflicts in religion. It also tries to show the various social components, such as social status.

The brief tale “A private Experience” by Chimamanda Ngozi is set in Nigeria. A city of Kano. It has two warring ethnic groups, the Hausa and the Igbo. The setting can be divided into; physical and social. The physical setting is in the abandoned store, where the two ladies find refuge from the riots. The social setting is depicted in the two conflicting ethnicities; Hausa and Igbo. The conflict between Muslims and Christians over the holy Quran is an excellent example of social conflict.

The story has two main characters- Chika and the Hausa woman. Chika is the story’s protagonist of the story as she gives her perspective and experiences that follow. Her outer characterization informs of a young Igbo woman from an affluent family. Also, the reader can tell of her complexion and religion from the author’s description. Her inner characterization communicates her ability to understand the source of the conflict from a broader perspective. Also, she is unaccustomed to violence as she has had little exposure to it her entire life (Adichie, 2009). The Hausa woman is an essential supporting character in the story. Her outer characterization allows the reader to know that she is Muslim and uneducated. Her inner characterization shows that she is kind and more composed in violent occasions than Chika.

The story is a third-person narration that is tailored to the perspective of the protagonist-Chika. The narrator of the story is limited and guided by Chika’s knowledge and interpretation of the events. For instance, Chika’s descriptions of the woman inform on her looks, religion, and even ethnicity. Also, the narrator uses flash forwarding in the story indicating that she has knowledge of future events. However, the future occurrences discussed in the story are also limited to Chika’s perspective. For instance, the author informs that Chika does not find her sister after the riot. However, there is no account of what happens to the Hausa woman.

The language used in the story is a combination of Pidgin English spoken by the Hausa woman and fluent English used by Chika. The disparity in the language spoken by the two characters was used to highlight the social-status difference between them. Also, the choice of word by the two is motivated and shaped by their social and religious environments. To reinforce the communicative effectiveness of language, the author used other figures of speech, for example, metaphors and symbols.

The main theme of the short story is religious and ethnic conflict. The theme is reinforced and promoted through instances of conflict, violence, and media. The difference in social status has also been seen to reinforce and improve the communication of the theme to the readers. The story tells of a delicate real-life historical conflict between the Igbo and the Hausa. Therefore, the author successfully covered the theme in a well-structured and readable story. The story revolves around activities motivated by the conflict between the Igbo (Christians) and the Hausa (Muslim) people. Therefore, the theme most abundant in the story is conflict.

In conclusion, the short story has several connections to the real world and current issues. First, it informs of a conflict between the Hausa and the Igbo people that have not been resolved even in the current times. The author also stresses that the conflict is not between all the paper people but a few who incite conflict. For instance, the Hausa woman was kind to Chika and even helped her find a hiding place. Also, the conflict was started by a group of idle men who beheaded an innocent Igbo Christian.

Work Cited

Adichie, C. (2009). A Private Experience. Fourth Estate.