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characterization Obinze - Americanah
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characterization Obinze - Americanah Novel
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Characterization Obinze „Americanah“Obinze, a character in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie´s Novel “Americanah”, is the Ex-Boyfriend of
Ifemelu from university and lived in Britain while Ifemelu immigrated to the US but he moved back
to Nigeria due to his visa expiring and became rich and successful there.
Obinze is married to a woman named Kosi and together they have a two-year old daughter named
Buchi. They live in a big house with the nanny Christiana, the housegirl Marie from Benin Republic
and Kosi´s sister Chioma.
In the following I will characterize Obinze based on how he´s being portrayed in the given extracts
of the novel.
What becomes obvious about Obinze in the extracts is that he is not over Ifemelu even after them
being separated for 15 years. He is reacting quite emotionally and overly exited to an Email of hers
where she addresses him by his former nickname “Ceiling” (p. 242, l.8) and thinks about how she
has always been kind and caring towards him even when he told her that he was getting married in
a rather provoking way.
It becomes clear that this is his way of expressing his jealousy when Ifemelu told him she was
living with with an intellectual African-American (p.242, ll.21-32) which shows that he is not over
their breakup and wishes they´d somehow get back together.
Since Obinze is an (apparently happily) married man, the readers attention gets focussed on his
behaviour towards his wife Kosi. In comparison with his intense feelings and thoughts about
Ifemelu and her life, it appears that he isn´t too happy with his marriage after all. Seeing and talking
to Kosi, he only notices how beautiful she is and nothing about her as a person (p.243, l.30).
It furthermore seems like he is disappointed in her because she doesn´t show any interest him as a
person or his life, meaning his job. It becomes clear that she only cares about their wealth and that
they don´t have to change their lifestyle. Obinze is the one in charge to maintain their wealth and
he realizes that, which is why he challenges her to put some effort into their relationship, to show
some interest in him but she never does (p. 243, ll.53-70).
What can furthermore be said about Obinze is that he is quite overwhelmed by his wealth which is
a sign that he is rather new to it. It even seems like this lifestyle doesn´t fulfil him because he is
lacking something important which is love and a truly happy relationship (p. 243, ll. 17-26).
It has to be added that he is a great father to his daughter which shows by her excitement in
seeing him (p.243, l-37).
Another aspect to mention is that Obinze gives a hundred naira bill to a child beggar which is
considered as stupid in Nigeria. The reader can conclude from that that it hasn´t been long since
he moved back to Nigeria because he doesn´t know that, according to the driver, child beggars are
practically rich.
It could also mean that money doesn´t matter as much to him because he is rich and successful
enough to just hand out a hundred naira.
In conclusion it can be said that Obinze is a quite unsatisfied man because his wife doesn´t seem
to care about him as a person and his thought-to-be true love is in the US living with another man.
He appears to long for a more simplistic life and a happier and stable relationship.
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