Americanah: Chapter 21 Summary & Analysis

One day Aunty Uju calls Ifemelu, upset that Dike won’t wear the shirt she wants him to wear for church (a shirt Bartholomew bought for him). Ifemelu talks to Dike and tells him to humor his mother, who is still anxious because she is in unfamiliar territory. That weekend Ifemelu visits them and brings Curt. Aunty Uju and Ifemelu’s college friends are all charmed by him, though Ifemelu finds his solicitousness somewhat unappealing. Dike ignores him until Curt offers to play basketball with him.

Aunty Uju compliments Ifemelu about making Curt like her, even with her hair “like that.” Uju complains that Dike has written an essay about “not knowing what he is.” Ifemelu says that she should respect his feelings, but Uju says that he is being taught to have issues and be conflicted about his identity. She also complains about Bartholomew, who wants Uju to cook for him and give him her salary, and about the racist people she has to deal with. She blames the former Nigerian leaders for ruining her country, but never mentions The General.

Curt and Dike come in, and Ifemelu can see that Dike is now charmed by Curt as well. They soon go back out to play more basketball. Aunty Uju tells Ifemelu that Curt “holds her like an egg,” and she agrees. She feels fragile and precious with him. Later that night she holds his hand and feels proud to be with him, and to belong to him.

One morning Aunty Uju has a fight with Bartholomew about him always leaving toothpaste in the sink. He says he is busy with work, but she reminds him that she works too, and that she is paying for his car. This seems to be the last straw, and Uju tells Ifemelu that she is leaving with Dike to move to a town named Willow. Dike seems pleased.

There is another post from Ifemelu’s blog. She says that no matter how much a Non-American Black might try to say that they’re Jamaican or Ghanaian, not “black,” America will always consider them black. Even if you weren’t considered black in your home country, you become black when you come to America. And part of this is learning to be offended by certain things, to support other black people, and to realize that when a black person commits a crime or does something wrong, you are somehow implicated in their guilt. But she advises not to be bitter when talking about racism to white liberals, or they won’t be sympathetic. She says don’t even bother talking about racism to white conservatives, as they will accuse you of racism.