The Danger of Labels

 In her "Feminist Manifesto" of suggestions, Chimananda Ngozi Adiche highlights an overwhelming amount of expectations that socially have historically defined femininity.  If we were to consider gender culture as a time-knot in the United States, we would find some incredible progressions in liberties, while at the same time stagnant perceptions of what it means to be feminine.  By writing this to Ijeawele, it seems clear that Ijeawele could be personification of the audience as a whole (a whole generation).  This makes this work a call to action, in that we are responsible for raising feminist children so we can collectively alter the persistent stereotypical perceptions of women in society.  To emphasize this call to action, she reminds us of the many labels attached to women.  She claims that these labels are dangerous in that they aim to define a woman's worth and success.  Instead of character-defining labels, such "feminine values" posed by society should be optional factors in a woman's identity.

Society has created expectations for both men and women via labels; men are expected to be strong, assertive providers, and women are expected to be kind, beautiful wives and mothers.  Adiche personally experienced the emphasis of the marriage label in her career: "You remember how a journalist unilaterally decided to give me a new name--Mrs. Husband's Surname--on learning that I was married, and how I asked him to stop because that was not my name" (p. 32).  She continues to argue that she did not choose to keep her name because of her success, but because she simply likes her surname.  This assumption that she chose to keep her surname due to her success in her career implies that had she not been successful, she would have had to change her name since marriage would have then been her "accomplishment."

In addition, instilling the label of likability suggests a label of passivity, based on how it is conveyed by Adiche.  She writes, "We have a world full of women who are unable to exhale fully because they have for so long been conditioned to fold themselves into shapes and make themselves likeable" (p. 37), which emphasizes that women are expected to be likable in all circumstances, regardless of how they feel and would like to behave.  Adiche speaks directly to the readers, calling for girls to be raised " to be honest...kind...brave...to speak truthfully" (p. 38).  Thus, there are many attributes that a girl/woman should be taught, but by encouraging a label that masks the true person, feminism is actively being endangered.

Adiche notes the importance of teaching girls to be themselves, and grow into their own identity without the stagnating nature of social, gender-based labels.  She mentions the influence of shame on female sexuality (p. 53), but shame seems to apply to failure to conform to societal labels, as well.  Labels fester in the minds of men and women alike, and ultimately hold them back from being respected for just being themselves.