“Africa by Africans for Africans”

critical thinking in the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her contributions to international perspectives

Abstract

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a great reference in African and contemporary literature, gaining space in publishing markets, both in Brazil and internationally. In her works, the writer does not distance herself from the reality experienced by her characters, but uses them to bring everyday situations into vogue, welcoming the feelings of those who have gone through these situations from the encounter with reading. Based on her literary positioning and acting as an activist in intersectional themes, such as gender, race and nationality, this article aims to analyze how Chimamanda addresses social themes within her works, considering her African perspective in the development of her pieces. This starts from the International Relations area to analyze Chimamanda's work and critical position, especially considering her as an agent of her own history: the history of the African continent. For this, the qualitative method will be used to seek references about the author's life, African perspectives and the analysis of her works. As of this work’s structure, in addition to the introduction and final considerations, there are three sections: the first section seeks to present the historical and theoretical context about Africa, understanding the role of the African as an agent of his own history; the second section seeks to present the important points of the author's life, connecting with concepts brought in the previous section and with the area of International Relations; and, finally, the third section seeks to analyze two works by the author (Purple Hibiscus and The Thing Around Your Neck) from her position on social issues, especially connecting them to International Relations. This article becomes relevant for bringing perspectives from African literature that enrich the theoretical framework and new ways of understanding reality in the context of International Relations.