Ifemelu and Blaine's relationship is on the
verge of unraveling after Ifemelu lied to him about why she did not take part
in his protest. However, it is Obama’s campaign for presidency that helps
reignite some passion between them and enables them to find common ground. Prior
to, Ifemelu feels as though her and Blaine’s union “was leached of passion,”
(437) but after reading Obama’s Dreams
from My Father, an unspoken bond is formed. It is a bond that not only connects
Ifemelu and Blaine to each other, but so many Black Americans who are all
hoping for one thing: change.
Throughout the duration of their Ifemelu and
Blaine’s relationship, Blaine, being an academic, has always held strong
opinions about race and the ideals of race in America. The first time Ifemelu
informed Blaine of her desire for Obama to become president, his eyes lit up
and Adichie notes that Blaine “had not dared hope she would believe the same
thing that he believed” (438). It is this line that we begin to see the rekindling
of the flame between them. Ifemelu taking an interest in one of Blaine’s
passions allowed them to connect on a deeper level than they had not been able
to before. When Obama was announced as the Democratic Party nominee, Ifemelu
and Blaine made love for the first time in weeks. During their lovemaking, “Obama
was there with them, like an unspoken prayer, a third emotional presence” (442).
He was the glue that held the cracks in Ifemelu and Blaine’s relationship
together. This deep physical and
emotional connection was only made possible due to Obama’s victory.
Not only was Ifemelu able to bond with Blaine
over her newfound love of Obama, but she “no longer felt excluded” (441) from
his group of academically-inclined friends. As all of Blaine’s friends were Obama
supporters, Ifemelu could contribute to the conversation at their gatherings,
without fear of criticism. They shared the same hope for a world in which a black
man could become president as Adichie later notes, “their friends, like her and
Blaine, were believers. True believers” (442).
Obama had inspired hope and deepened bonds, not
just for Ifemelu and Blaine, but for many others within the black American
community. One day, Blaine came home with news that while working for the Obama
campaign, he met a woman who told him she “didn’t think that this would happen
even in [her] grandbaby’s lifetime” (441). Obama was a role model that black
Americans could look at and relate to due to his skin color. After Obama was
projected to be the next president of the United States, Ifemelu received a
text from Dike saying, “I can’t believe it. My president is black like me”
(447). Ultimately, Obama aided in fixing the divide in America, yet also in Ifemelu and Blaine's relationship.
As has been determined through in-class discussion and other blog posts, Ifemelu is not as independent as she believe when it comes to men; the stages of life that she goes through are defined by the man she is with at the time. Given the stress that Ifemelu puts on trying to partake in fulfilling relationships, it is peculiar that she allows her failing relationship with Blaine go on for as long as it does. By using Obama as a link between them, Adiche stresses the significance that Obama has to black people in America, essentially saying that if Obama can keep Ifemelu with Blaine, then Obama must be powerful.
ReplyDeleteIt is eventually noted on page 360 that Ifemelu does not have the ability to vote in the election - that her support of Obama can only be abstract, for she cannot partake in the most important part of supporting a candidate. This fact, contrasted with the enthusiasm and effort that Ifemelu brings forth towards Obama’s campaign, highlight that Obama’s presidency truly is bigger than any individual. The reason for Ifemelu’s efforts is not that she has the duty as an American to be politically involved, because she is not officially an American. The reason, instead, is that she has the duty as a black person living in America to try to bring about racial progress in the country. The election serves to help Ifemelu start to identify with African Americans, at least partially.