The Thing Around Your Neck May 2026

The title refers to a metaphorical "thing" that wraps around Akunna's neck at night, symbolizing her suffocating loneliness , anxiety, and the heavy burdens of her identity as an immigrant.

In Connecticut, she works as a waitress and experiences profound loneliness and cultural isolation. She meets a young white man who is genuinely interested in her culture, and they begin a relationship. However, cultural tensions persist; he often displays a subtle condescension or fails to understand the depth of her immigrant experience. The Thing Around Your Neck

is the title story of a collection by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , first published in 2009. Told in the second person ("you"), the story follows a young Nigerian woman named Akunna as she navigates the disillusionment of the "American Dream" . Plot Summary The title refers to a metaphorical "thing" that

Akunna eventually receives a letter from home informing her that her father has died. Her family had used the money she sent home to pay for his funeral. She decides to return to Nigeria alone, leaving her relationship and her status in America uncertain. Themes and Symbolism However, cultural tensions persist; he often displays a

The story critiques the idealized version of America, highlighting the racism, ignorance, and exploitation immigrants often face.

Her uncle, who initially seems supportive, sexually assaults her, telling her that "America was give-and-take". Traumatized and unwilling to stay, she flees to Connecticut without telling anyone where she is going.