How Adichie uses the term ‘a single story'

In her TED talk, Adichie uses the term ‘a single story’ to describe a defining narrative that influences the way people view events, places, and communities. She warns about the “danger of the single story” (l. 1) because a single story “robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar” (ll. 81-83). Therefore, Adichie uses the term ‘single story’ to show how people’s understanding of each other can be limited, and how perceived differences can stand in the way of human interaction and prevent people from seeing each other as equals.

Adichie also links the term ‘single story’ to that of power, and implicitly, colonialism in African countries. She states that “Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person,...