Analysis

An analysis of the short story “Imitation” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shows that the text has a chronological structure. The story follows Nkem over an undetermined time, from the moment she finds out about her husband’s mistress to the moment she decides to move back to Lagos. 

The main character is Nkem, a Nigerian woman who lives in Philadelphia with her two children. After she finds out that her husband has a mistress in Lagos, she lets him know that she wants to move back to Nigeria. 

The main physical setting is Philadelphia, US, where Nkem lives with her two children while Obiora only visits for two months a year. The social setting focuses on issues such as class differences and gender roles. 

The story is told by a third-person narrator who mainly adopts Nkem’s perspective of the events.

The language is informal and reflects the characters’ social background, class differences, as well as their Nigerian heritage. 

A full analysis of the short story can be found on the following pages.