The Danger of a Single Story (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
The Danger of a Single Story Analysis
Students studying the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A qualification must study all ten of the non-fiction texts in Part 1 of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Anthology in preparation for Paper 1. You will be given one of the ten texts in your exam, along with another unseen text, which is thematically linked. Section A, Question 4 will be specifically about the anthology text, and Question 5 will ask you to compare the anthology text with the unseen text.
The following guide to The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie contains:
The Danger of a Single Story overview
The Danger of a Single Story summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in The Danger of a Single Story
The Danger of a Single Story language
The Danger of a Single Story overview
The Danger of a Single Story is a 2009 TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It explores the negative influences that a “single story” can have and examines where these stories come from. Adichie is a Nigerian writer, and in her speech she discusses some of the issues she faced when she moved to America from Africa to attend university.
The Danger of a Single Story summary
The talk begins with Adichie reflecting on her childhood in Nigeria and how, as an early writer, she began to write stories that did not reflect her reality. She thought that, because of the books she read as a child, the characters in her writing had to look a certain way and her stories should be about things with which she could not relate to. This changed when she discovered African writers, as she realised that there was no “single story” of what books and stories should be.
When Adichie went to university in the US, she had to deal with her American classmates’ and teachers’ stereotypical ideas about her and her background, which were often based on a narrow perspective or a “single story” they had been given. She also shares that she, too, was guilty of stereotyping or basing what she thinks on one given perspective. She ends by reflecting on the dangers of showing people as only one thing, over and over again, until that is what they become; Adichie makes the argument that stories really do matter to the way we see ourselves and other people.
Themes, ideas and perspectives in The Danger of a Single Story
Paper 1, Question 4 will ask you to explore how the writer has used language and structure to present a theme or idea within their text. Paper 1, Question 5 will ask you to compare how the writer presents their ideas and perspectives with the unseen text.
What are the key themes in The Danger of a Single Story?
Theme | Analysis |
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Stereotyping, prejudice and preconceptions |
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The presentation of people, culture and societies through the media and books |
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How does Adichie present her ideas and perspectives?
Adichie uses a variety of techniques to present her ideas and perspectives. These also include how she structures her writing in order to achieve her desired effects.
Technique | Analysis |
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First-person perspective |
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Anecdote |
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Inclusive pronouns |
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Discourse markers |
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Humour |
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Single-line paragraphs |
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The Danger of a Single Story language
The language choices made by a writer contribute to the overall effect they wish to portray.
Language | Analysis |
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Title |
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Childlike language |
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Justification |
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Syntactic parallelism |
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Juxtaposition |
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Emotive language |
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Repetition |
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For more guidance on how to get top marks in your exam, check out our comprehensive revision notes on Paper 1, Question 4:
Question 4 Skills: Language and Structure Analysis
And see our guides for the other IGCSE English Language Anthology texts here:
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill |
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