Throughout the novel, Ifemelu develops as a very dynamic and
interesting character. She marched to the beat of her own drum and doesn’t
think or act like what is expected of her. It is evident in the flashback to
her time in Nigeria when she is told to make decorations in a church. She
replied by saying “Why should I make decorations for a thief?” (62) When she is
questioned by Sister Ibinabo, she doesn’t apologize and stands her ground. She
knows that what she said would get her in trouble, but she says it anyway.
Her
personality also shines through in her interactions in the hair salon. When
Aisha was braiding her hair, she asks Ifemelu, “Why you don’t have relaxer?” To
which Ifemelu responds, “I like my hair the way God made it” (15). Aisha didn’t
understand why anyone would leave their hair natural instead of relaxing it.
This shows how Ifemelu challenges what society expects of her. She is proud of
who she is and will not change herself because of how others expect her to be.
Also in the
hair salon, the other women are focused on finding husbands. Aisha describes
how there are two men and she wants to marry one of them. She talks about how
they are Igbo and Igbo only marry Igbo. Much of the conversation revolves
around these men and how she wants to get married. Ifemelu is not concerned
with this. Marriage is not her top priority and she seems to stand out among
the other women at the hair salon. She is more interested in moving back to
Nigeria even though it likely means giving up her current relationship and
marriage in the near future. Ifemelu doesn’t let this phase her and she
continues down her own path.
I think
that Ifemelu is the type of character that one can connect with. She is a
strong-willed individual. She possesses qualities that I think a lot of people
aspire to have. She is her own independent person, who makes her own choices no
matter what anyone else thinks.
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