One topic that runs throughout the entire novel is the subject
of black women’s hair. The novel is framed by Ifemelu’s experience at the
braiding saloon. Women’s hair represents much more in the novel than it does at
the surface and is a symbol of Ifemelu’s conformity to American standards
versus embracing her culture and where she comes from. Ifemelu faces a lot of
pressure to assimilate into American culture after she immigrates to the United
States from Nigeria. America’s preference for conformity and lack of
inclusiveness is seen in Ifemelu’s observation that “it was unreasonable to
expect a braiding saloon in Princeton” which is a predominantly white area (4).
African women are further seen as “different”
then the average white American through the description of their hair as an “alien
eruption” (502).
Ifemelu attempts to conform to American standards by taming
her natural hair with relaxer. She does this in order to align with America’s
idea of professional in which “straight [hair] is best” (252). Relaxing her
hair is symbolic of her attempt to assimilate into American culture. She has found
that assimilation is the only way to succeed in the United States where diversity
is praised in theory but not always in practice.
When Ifemelu begins to lose her hair it is a wake-up call
that changing herself to fit the American mold is not going to bring her
happiness in the long run. She decided
that “relaxing [her] hair is like being in prison” (257). While she meant this
literally in the sense that she avoids exercising and runs from the rain, there
is also a metaphorical meaning. Relaxing her hair is caging her cultural
background and natural self. After she cuts her hair she realizes that wearing
it natural is best and there is “nothing more beautiful than what God gave her”
(264). Ifemelu has had almost no relationship with God since she was a child in
Nigeria. The reference to God here is significant as it indicates that she is remembering
her past and where she came from. Throughout the entire novel the choices Ifemelu
makes about her hair mirrors her journey of conformity to American standards
and her eventual peace with who she is and where she comes from.
I agree with your comments and positions about the hair of black women that is portrayed throughout the entirety of the novel. While we are having the flashback of her whole experience in America, Ifemelu is sitting in a hair salon getting her hair braided. One of the make things that happens in the middle of the novel is that Ifemelu is about to have an interview and as per advice from both her Aunty Uju and her friend she goes to get her hair relaxed. As a result her scalp gets burned and she continues to go through the pain of worrying about sweating and rain and getting her hair relaxed again and again as it grows. Finally she cuts her hair all off and obtains what she calls a mini afro of a sort. As she is struggling with how she looks, she turns to support from friends and also a website for black women who are living with natural hair. This community that she finds online is a great way to demonstrate the struggles that these women are going through on a daily basis that only they can fully relate to. The fact that this topic is brought up time and time again throughout the novels helps represent how urgent this topic really is and how many people are actually dealing with the problems again and again.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy this post a lot because the topic of hair and how it relates to race is something that intrigued me a lot in this novel, and also intrigues me in life when it comes to social justice movements. The fact that there are no braiding salons in Princeton excludes Ifemelu from that area, like you said. It makes her feel like she will never be entirely welcome because it is a mostly white community. In addition to what you said about this, it is interesting to note that a white woman comes into the braiding salon while Ifemelu is there and asks for her hair to be braided. Even though her hair is not meant for this style, the stylists do it anyway. I feel that this is symbolic of how Black or African people are expected to be inclusive and accommodating of white people, but that same is not expected of white people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the parallels that you made about the hair relaxers burning her scalp and making her hair fall out. I think it is interesting that you said, “Diversity is praised in theory but not always in practice” in the United States. I have never thought of it this way before, but I would agree with you. I think that it is common for white people to praise themselves for being inclusive and for fighting for minorities, but in practice they don’t do much to actually make a change in the world. For example: microaggressions, excusing other’s racists actions, etc.
I like your explanation of Ifemelu’s reference to God when she says, “nothing more beautiful than what God gave her” (264). I did not really pick up on this reference as anything of much importance, but I do agree with what you said. Because God was such a huge part of her mother’s life and her culture, it is significant that she references it here without having much faith previously in her life. Like you said, it reconnects her with her culture after she tried to assimilate into American culture. It may even suggest that she is now even closer with her culture than she was before she had even moved to America.
I agree with you in the sentiment that Ifemelu's hair serves both a literal and figurative meaning. Literally speaking, her hair is her identity. It is how she differentiates herself from the rest of the women in America. In the scenes set in the hair salon, it is clear through the conversations that Ifemelu has with the hairdressers that she is extremely comfortable with her hair. Aisha, the lady working on Ifemelu's hair asks her, "Why you don't have relaxer?" to which Ifemelu curtly responds, "I like my hair the way God made it" (15). These quotations are an indication of Ifemelu's pride in herself and her roots, and that she doesn't feel the need for change. This changes, however, as the novel progresses. Ifemelu begins to realize the constraints that her hair presents in her professional life. Realizing that her natural hair would be unprofessional in an interview setting, Ifemelu decides to use a relaxer and "her hair began to fall out at the temples" (257). The chemicals in the relaxer begin to negatively affect her appearance, which in turn affects her sense of self. Figuratively this shows how her becoming "Americanah" ensues a loss of her natural self, but this is a price she must pay in order to assimilate and be successful in a new country. Not only does this mirror the internal struggles she faces as an immigrant, but it also represents her changing attitudes as her time in this new country progresses. Hair, something that seems so trivial to most people, is something so meaningful to others and is often incomprehensible to those unaffected -- and this is the crux of the racial distinction immigrants face in a new country.
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