While reading Americanah, I have noticed several instances where there are power imbalances between men and women. Something that jumped out to me was in chapter 6. Aunty Uju has a very interesting relationship with the general. It is obvious that is nothing like Ifemelu and Obinze’s relationship, where they obtain equal power from each other and they are no imbalances. In any relationship, one person having more power than the other is problematic. Aunty Uju depends on the general for almost everything, which reflects how she has no control in her life. Uju could definitely attain a much younger, better partner, yet she stays with him on account of her power and money. She does not even has any money of her own, which proves how little freedom she has in that relationship. Ifemelu is in shock that Uju has nothing of her own, “you don’t have money?” (Adichie 92) Aunty Uju has to physically ask the general for rent m...
(she/her)