We will use the questions below to guide our class discussion.

1. What happens when we define people only by what we know about them already?

We start to stereotype them and we form our own idea of what their life was just
based on the little knowledge we know about them.

2. Think of a group you do not know well, but have some impression of. What is their
"single story" as you know it? Explain the group and the single story.  Why do you
think that we often only have a single story about people from foreign lands? 

A group that I don’t know very well is probably anyone that is from the Middle east.
Their single story for me is that they’re familiar with war and that they’re all very
religious (Islam). I think we think this because all we hear is that there’s war in Iran
and all that stuff.

3. What does it mean to have a "single story"?  

A. to only see people as one dimensional - similar to stereotypes - and not be
conscious of their varied experiences
B. to only have one story to tell
C. to have a story that is focused on one theme.
4. Adichie says, “stories… are defined by the principle of nkali.” What is the definition
of this word? How have you seen this idea manifest in society today?

From what I remember it means like “To be greater then someone”.

5. Stereotypes are not wrong, but they are incomplete in the words of Adichie. What
does this mean? Do you think this is accurate? Explain.

6. Have you ever been stereotyped? (3-4 sentences about this experience)

I mean I guess I have, like when I tell people I’m from brasil they’re always like
“WOOOwww”. People also say how I don’t look brasillian which is kind of weird
but oh well.

7. Think about your life. Can you recall a time when you felt someone reduced you to a
single story? How did it make you feel?
8. What does Adichie mean when she says, “all of these stories make me who I am. But
to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience , and to overlook
the many other stories that formed me.”