Migration and Identity in Two Short Stories: Amy Tan and Adichie

Before you dive into the assignment, let’s take a quick look at the key aspects of the short stories so you’re fully prepared.

Let’s look at Waverly Jong by Amy Tan first. In this scene, the conflict between Waverly and her traditional Chinese mother erupts. Her mother proudly presents Waverly on the street like a trophy: “This my daughter Wave-ly Jong.” For Waverly, who is searching for her own American identity, this is extremely embarrassing. She snaps, runs away and hides.

At the end, she sits in the dark, playing a mental game of chess against her mother and loses. The chessboard symbolizes their power struggle and the invisible rules imposed on her by her mother. The core message is that the pressure to prove oneself in a new culture can create deep conflicts between parents and children.

The second text is The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. We follow Akunna, a young Nigerian woman who came to the US through the visa lottery. She experiences alienation and painful moments, for example at a Chinese restaurant, when her American boyfriend stays silent because the waiter assumes Akunna is not his girlfriend. Prejudice and invisible barriers become clear.

The “thing around your neck” symbolizes loneliness, pressure to conform and alienation. When her father dies, her connection to Nigeria becomes weaker. In the end, she decides to return to Nigeria alone.

Now it’s your turn! Grab your text excerpt and work on the questions. Consider how migration affects the characters’ identities, what emotions they experience and what messages the authors convey. Have fun with your assignment!