Author finally explains why she asked Hillary Clinton that 'Wife' question

In a long post shared on her Facebook profile, Adichie addressed the issue through what was supposedly a response to a "Dear Unnamed Person Who I Am Told Is On Social Media Saying I am Her Family and Telling Me to Shut Up".

The author began by addressing those who chose who to jump on the bandwagon and attack her for the interview, without seeking necessary context, or at the least, watching the interview or reading a transcript.

"I am tired of Nigerians cynically thinking of anybody in public life as a ‘brand.’ No, I am not a brand. I am a person who feels strongly about certain issues.", she wrote.

"I choose to talk honestly about them. I made the choice to talk about feminism knowing very well the kind of hostility it brings – but I think it’s important and I will continue to speak my truth and hope to bring about some change, no matter how small"

The post goes on to describe the meeting with Hillary Clinton, with Chimamamanda adding that she was delighted to learn that Hillary Clinton had personally requested to be in conversation with her at the PEN World Voices Festival.

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During a brief conversation before the interview, Ms. Adichie says she asked Hillary Clinton if there was anything she would prefer to not talk about. Hillary Clinton is said to have replied, "Ask me anything".

In the post, Ms. Adichie goes on to explain why she was interested in the marital aspect of Hillary Clinton's life and her choice of 'wife' in her public Twitter profile.

"I was upset that the first word used to describe her was ‘wife.’ Was it a choice she had made or was it something done for her campaign and, if it was a choice she had made, did she think my reaction to it was fair?", the post reads.

Context is everything

Miss Adichie goes further to admit that she was "too excited, emotional, slightly nervous, to be on stage with this remarkable woman", and had she kept in mind how easily outrage-mongers would jump on a headline, she would have phrased her question better.

The author explained that she felt that the term "wife" had been used to "placate all the men and women who will not vote for a woman unless they are able to see her FIRST in domestic terms.".

"Feminism is indeed about choice. But it is intellectually lazy to suggest that, since everything is about ‘choice,’ none of these choices can be interrogated. Choices are never made in a vacuum. And sometimes, for women, choices are not always real choices.", the author wrote.

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In conclusion, she admonished the people who had attacked her to read and be informed "before you reveal your ignorant misogyny to the world".

"Try reasoning. Try intelligent debate. Try understanding things in context before you reveal your ignorant misogyny to the world. Try reading more than a headline. Try reading a whole book. Or two. And please keep talking. Keep speaking. Don’t ever shut up."

Miss Adichie's post is a response of sorts to the reactions that came after that infamous "Wife" question made its way to social media this week.

ALSO READ: Daddy Freeze thinks Chimamanda Adichie can never achieve as much as Hillary Clinton

Miss Adichie asked the question when she interviewed Hillary Clinton at a PEN World Voices Festival lecture at the Cooper Union in Manhattan, New York on the night of Sunday, April 22, 2018.

As someone who Christiane Amanpour describes as "an icon of the feminist movement", Chimanda Adichie's views are polarizing in a patriarchal society.

As with most of her positions on just about any issue, Nigerians have expressed various opinions about her question.

Most of the reactions were hinged on the perception that the author was taking things a little too far.

Some, like popular On-Air Personality, Daddy Freeze chose a rather abrasive tone in chastising her for starting a conversation that they see no use in.