Americanah: Cheating

This book changed me, in a way that it left a scar.

Americanah: Cheating 

This book written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a novel that moves you. The novel follows a pair of star-crossed lovers from Nigeria, Ifemelu and Obize. We follow their adventures as immigrants in the U.S and U.K respectively. The books is really a series of vignttes in which an endless parade oi minor characters talk about race, nasionality, and various other issues, with Ifemelu in the background. 

If you're looking for a book of observations about race in America, you might like this book. Ifemelu is a character that portreyes self-confidence, honesty and jugment. Althoug i like flawed female characters, i found this character to be very jugmental. 

Althoug the major point of this book is to talk about race in America, I got sidetraced. I loved everything, from the writing to the overall experience of the book but there was this issue in the book that made me alwayes think of this book. Althoug a good book, it is not a book that is extraordinary. 

After staying a part from eachother for 15 years, Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, in thoose 15 years, time has passed. Obinze is now a scusessful entrupenur, he is one of the elits, he has a wife and a kid at home. Althoug he realizeds later one that he regrets marring his now wife, he feels responsibility for taking crae of her. 

Obinzes wife is a charmin woman, she is beautuful and kind. Obinze has alwayes valued honesty and transperenty and his wife is the compleat oppisite. She is the one that rather keep the peace, she dosent have an opinion and agreas with everyone. 

I have alwayes thought of cheating like a bad thing to do. It hurts everyone involved and it is wrong. When Ifemelu and Obinze meets agian, their passion rekindels. He is in love with Ifemelu and cheates on his wife with her. 

Natulig, the wife finds out and she begges (on her knees) him not to leav her, she is not crying and screming beacuse she expected it. And it shattered my heart. Why is it expected that powerfull men shoud cheat? 

I do get it, when you are rich and powerfull everyone trows themselvs at you, it can get distracting but why did she not do anything?

Ifemelu is portrayed as a character who stands for the right, and when she cheats it gets confusing. We humkans are desitenied to make mistakes, and I am mature enaoug to know that no one can be perfect but why was the explenasion for him cheating that he simpely was just in love?

In the end, he divorces his wife and lives happily with Ifemelu. The phrase "Once a cheater, alwayes a cheater" really stand out. Beacuse Ifemelu had cheated before. 

Can cheating be forgiven beacuse your significant other simeply fell in love with an other person?

Author's Note

Thank you for taking your time to read my story.