The Power of Vulnerability

 The Dangers of a Single Story 

Books have been my escape from reality for as long as I can remember so my initial thought after hearing her say "I had become convinced that books by the very nature had to have foreigners in them," was just how much I could relate to this. As I said, books were my escape from reality, so when I would imagine a different life, a better life, I would imagine myself as a white girl. This was because I could never see myself reflected in the books I read since all the characters were white. Eventually, I started reading more diverse books that opened my eyes, just like how her perspective changed when she discovered African books. This was my single story.

What I loved most about her talk is that she included so many different stories. One of the stories she included took me back to what I learned in The Allegory of the Cave. She had been in this cave where all she could see of Fide, her new house boy, and his family was poverty. She could never imagine that Fide or any of his family members could have any skills. Later on, she visited Fide's family which was her escape from that cave. His mother showed them a basket that his brother made which startled her. She then realized that her ignorance was a result of her mom giving her a single story. 

She also talked about one of the most relatable things in today's world which is how there is more to a person than how social media may portray them. She talked about how her roommate built an image of her simply from the fact that she was African. Given we live in Egypt, we all know exactly what she was talking about when she discussed how Africa is misrepresented. The media portrays Africa as a poor and corrupt area. "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story." 

Every time she tells a story I find myself relating to her. For instance, she talked about how her roommate could not comprehend that she can speak English. This reminded me of the time when my Canadian teacher told our class that he will not give us an assignment because the English was too "advanced" for us. She also talked about how her professor told her she failed at achieving African authenticity. Authenticity is defined as legitimate and true. A story that includes an African character who is educated, not starving, and can drive a car is both legitimate and true. The ignorance of the professor allowed him to stereotype an entire continent based on a single story. However, everyone, including myself, is just as guilty as her professor. We are all vulnerable when it comes to single stories. 

The most important point she made was about power. Power has an effect on what people believe. These powers often share a single story. For example, during the last debate we had in school, we were all unfolding truths about single stories that we have heard. These stories were controlled by the US which had the power to control and manipulate people. 

"Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become."  

Finally, she concluded by saying that the rejection of the single-story phenomenon allows people to regain some kind of paradise. And on my own part, I 100% agree with this statement as it was only when I stopped listening to incomplete ideas and single stories that I felt like I was at peace.