Why is this written as a letter? What do you think the author is able to say in a letter that she could not in an essay? What topics would you want to discuss in a letter but maybe not in an essay?

This question draws the students’ attention to the epistolary form of the text, which gives Adichie’s message a more personal, intimate feel. Here, the student are prompted to empathize with the author, who chooses the letter form because it gives her a way of tackling a highly important issue in her life in a sensitive and nuanced way.

Who would go in your village of aunties and uncles? Would you find it harder to populate your village with either aunties or uncles? What kinds of qualities or attributes would you look for in an “auntie” or “uncle” for your village?

This question asks...