The Dark Side of Immigration

In the collection of short stories, "The Thing Around Your Neck," Adichie expresses a dark side of immigration that is much different from the immigration "success stories" typically expresses in novels.  Adichie's twelve stories center mostly around newly immigrated women who are often times unhappy in their new living situation.  Such occurrences include husbands cheating on their wives overseas, poor reception from their American neighbors, and a general unhappiness with the "American Dream."  Overall, these stories express themes of loneliness and regret, something quite unique to immigration stories of today.  Personally, I found these stories interesting because they were so fresh and different from what we normally see in books, movies and the media.  Although these were somewhat heavy and dark subjects, it was still interesting to see the world through a different perspective.  I found "The Thing Around Your Neck" a daring and refreshing take on immigration, and the lives of new immigrants in America.