A Private Experience

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie briefly mentions protests against General Sani Abacha, setting this story during his regime (1993-1998). Research the 1993 coup d’état, led by Abacha, and discuss how this political context informs the story.

This story takes place in Kano, Nigeria, the second largest city in the country. Research Kano and discuss how this particular setting informs the story. Why does Chika view Kano so differently than Lagos?

“A Private Experience” begins in medias res. How would the story change if it were written chronologically?

“A Private Experience” is written in the third-person limited point of view of Chika. How might the story differ if it were told from the point of view of the Hausa woman? Nnedi? One of the rioters?

Published in 2009, Adichie wrote this story 10 years after the collapse of Abacha’s dictatorship. Is the story purely historical, or do these issues and tensions manifest in the present day?

How does “A Private Experience” fit into Adichie’s larger collection, The Thing Around Your Neck? How do the other stories inform the themes in this story?

Is the ending of “A Private Experience” hopeful? What evidence supports an optimistic interpretation, and what contradicts it?

Discuss the role of Western media in this story. How does Chika’s experience contrast with the news reports she encounters? What role has the media played in other conflicts? Along with minimizing reports like Chika reads, consider the impact of photojournalism during conflicts like the Vietnam War, which shared brutal images with the public.

Listen to Adichie’s TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story.” “A Private Experience” is a story set in Nigeria and written by a Nigerian author. How does it convey information about Nigeria and its people beyond common media portrayals?