Themes

Mother-daughter relationships

The short story “My Mother, the Crazy African” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores the theme of mother-daughter relationships. 

The relationship between Lin and her mother is characterized by the conflict that emerges because of their different opinions and attitudes. While Lin wishes to reject her Nigerian roots and embrace her American self, her mother cares about tradition. Therefore, the two often clash because of their different values. 

First, the relationship between the two is tense because of their different perceptions regarding language. While Lin’s mother speaks Igbo, her daughter refuses to do so and even pretends that she does not understand the language when Matt is around. Then, their relationship becomes tenser when Lin’s mother struggles to adapt to th...